That Mr. Luzinho Faleiro the president of Congress Party in Goa has decided to quit election contesting politics and concentrate only on the development of the party is a good decision. However, if he took this decision only on the advice of Sonia Gandhi or after getting convinced that his chances in his own constituency Navelim and even elsewhere in Goa are Nil, will have to be ascertained. This decision of Luizinho Faleiro looks more or less like that of Kamaraj Plan and as such I can rightly dub it as Luzinho Faleiro Plan.
I know Luizinho Faleiro from the time he changed from Congress Party to Goa Congress along with Dr. Willie, Tomazinho Cardoso and others. His love for Goa and Goan causes is unquestionable but will he be able to succeed in his mission with the current crook, revengeful, arrogant, selfish and corrupt Congressmen around him as we have one below my nose? I doubt very much. Since the ouster of his predecessor John Fernandes, Congress Party in Goa has lost much of its shine and credibility. John Fernandes made it clear thru his actions against some corrupt Congressmen that Congress will not entertain corrupt persons in its fold thereby sending a clear signal that Congress was underway to rejuvenate.
However, since Luizinho Faleiro taking over the party reins the feeling one gets is totally different. If Congress party in Goa wants resurrection from the grave then Luizinho Faleiro must immediately declare openly and loudly that there is no place in Congress for the traitors, old guards and defeated candidates to contest the next election. Congress Party’s monopoly is rested not on to the shoulders of Congress Low Command and High Command from Panjim and Delhi respectively. Luizinho Faleiro must not ignore the opinions of the genuine Congressmen who are responsible to vote for Congress candidates. Last time the feelings and opinion of genuine Congressmen were ignored resulting in heavy defeat for Congress candidates who should in no way be re-nominated unless Luizinho Faleiro wants to fail himself in his new mission and also fail the Congress Party.
It is my sincere wish to see Luizinho Faleiro succeeds in his Plan for reviving the Congress Party prospects but to attain this success he must take into confidence the opinion of the hard core Congressmen who should not be bypassed in selecting the suitable candidates to contest the next election. It is a hard fact that some candidates with the help of the money power collected thru corrupt practices, pour crores of rupees into the pockets of the High Command Babus to dole them the election tickets because under Congress culture election tickets are become saleable commodity to the highest bidders. Luizinho Faleiro must give a feeling that money power will not play the role in doling out the election tickets. The High Command is so crazy after money that even at the last moment it will change its stand against the appropriate candidates and give the election tickets to the highest bidders. For this reason Congress lost miserably in Goa in the last election.
In my constituency which till recently was the strong citadel of Congress Party, the candidate representing Congress Party in the next election should be the one who is known to live a humble, polite, simple, moral and non-revengeful life. We in our constituency will surely oppose any candidate who is corrupt and known to take bribe, hafta and live an immoral life. Luizinho Faleiro should now take maximum care while selecting the Congress candidates who should not be imposed on the people.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel. 7507394349