Margao, Oct 29 (TOI): After a hiatus of three-and-a-half years, former Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao made a comeback. The outcome of the elections to the Cuncolim municipal council served as the perfect launchpad for the former urban development minister to announce his return to active politicking.
"I will now control the Cuncolim municipality through my chairperson and other councillors," Alemao unabashedly and triumphantly declared on Wednesday, while parading seven of the 12 elected candidates who have declared allegiance to him. Panzy Coutinho, Succorina Coutinho, Angela Painginkar, Lavita Mascarenhas, Uddesh Gaonkar, Shashank Dessai and Mario Moraes, appeared before the media, along with Alemao and his son Yuri.
Alemao managed to wean three independents to his side, who John Monteiro, a Congress ticket aspirant, had claimed to have been elected from his panel. Monteiro had played spoilsport for Alemao in the last assembly elections by dividing his votes thereby felicitating the victory of Subhash Naik as the MLA.
Stating that all seven elected candidates owing allegiance to him already held a meeting, Alemao announced that Lavita Mascarenhas would be elected the chairperson. He further said that Mascaremhas would step down after one year to enable four other councillors Angela Painginkar, Shashank Dessai, Panzy Coutinho and Succorino Coutinhoto share the post for the next four years, in that order.
Mario Moraes, former close aide of Alemao, who had deserted his political master in the 2012 assembly, has supported Alemao's panel to form the new council. Alemao has offered him the post of vice-chairperson which he will retain for the entire five-year term.
Moraes' return to the Alemao camp is seen by political observers as a major gain for Alemao. Moraes had thrown a gauntlet at Alemao by contesting the 2012 assembly polls against him to "avenge the humiliation" he was subjected to by Alemao in the 2010 civic polls.
This time, Alemao claimed he supported Moraes, who contested as an independent in the civic polls, by not fielding anyone against him. Moraes returned the favour by extending his support to Alemao's panel.
Alemao said that the next assembly elections would be his last one.
For the BJP, this development is a wake-up call. With only two candidates supported by the BJP's Cuncolim MLA making it to the council, it's apparent that Naik's popularity among the voters may well be fading.