Former Chief Minister of Goa and senior Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Kolkata on Wednesday. The development comes two days after he resigned from the Congress. He joined the TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and senior leaders Subrata Mukherjee and Sougata Roy.
Speaking to reporters Falerio described himself as a “Congress man” and said that he joined the TMC to unite the “Congress family” which was now divided into several parties.
“I am a Congress man with the same ideology and principles. I am joining the TMC today with the dream of uniting the Congress family. I want to ensure that the Congress family is once again united and the BJP is defeated,” said Falerio.
He also said that under the BJP rule, the administration and economy in Goa have collapsed.
“I have been in Congress for 40 years. I can tell from that experience that Mamata Banerjee can defeat the BJP as a member of the extended Congress family,” said Felario.
Asked about the TMC’s unsuccessful attempts to expand in Goa in the 2012 Assembly elections and the 2014 Lok Sabha elections Felario said, “The situation in Goa has changed a lot. The Congress came close to coming to power in Goa in 2017 but failed to form the government. It was due to the failure of the top leadership. But this time the TMC will come to power in Goa.”
A two-time Chief Minister, Falerio was the organizational in charge of the party in seven north-eastern states.
Along with Falerio, 10 other Congress leaders joined the TMC during the day. Roy said that several other Congress leaders will join the TMC in Goa on Thursday.
Earlier. the TMC tried to expand its organization twice in Goa but failed. Former Goa Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Wilfred D’Souza joined the TMC in 2012. D’Souza and his followers unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election in the same year with the TMC ticket.
Another former Goa Chief Minister Chirchill Alemao joined the TMC ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He unsuccessfully contested the election on a TMC ticket.
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