In a major political development, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Goa chief minister Churchill Alemao joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday.
Along with Alemao, his daughter Valanka Alemao and 38 others joined the party. Churchill Alemao's induction made TMC get its first sitting MLA in Goa.
The induction ceremony took place in the presence of TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Lok Sabha MP and party's Goa In-Charge Mahua Moitra, Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro, TMC's Parliamentary leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien were present at the event.
Churchill Alemao was the lone NCP MLA in the Goa Vidhan Sabha and early this morning subsumed the NCP legislative party into the TMC.
According to TMC, Alemao handed his resolution to merge with TMC to Speaker Rajesh Patnekar.
Welcoming Alemao into the TMC, Mamata Banerjee said, "Everyone wants BJP to go. They showed zero governance and zero performance. They are trying to kill democracy and heritage. BJP is a feku (fake) party. If any party is willing to come in alliance with us, they are welcome, but we will not let the BJP win this time."
Addressing a public rally, Alemao said, "If there is anyone on this planet who can become the Prime Minister, it is Mamata Didi. If she becomes the PM, she will throw the BJP out."
Abhishek Banerjee said TMC will never barter people's emotions for any vested interests.
"It is three Alphabets vs three Alphabets. It is B-J-P vs G-O-A. When TMC commits, it delivers. In 2017 BJP took the backdoor entry but now in 2022, we need to show them the front door exit. Like it intimidates other parties, it threatens TMC too, but come what may, TMC will never sell its soul to the BJP," said Abhishek Banerjee in his maiden public rally in Goa.
Mamata Banerjee is on a three-day tour to goa. Earlier today, she held a meeting with leaders of the TMC's Goa unit.
The TMC aggressively started campaigning for the upcoming polls after former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro joined the party. Faleiro joined TMC in the presence of Abhishek Banerjee after resigning from the Congress party.
Goa is scheduled to go for the Assembly polls in early 2022.
Goa Assembly has a strength of 40 members out of which BJP currently has 17 legislators and enjoys the support of legislators from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Vijay Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and three independents. GFP and MGP each have three MLAs.Congress, on the other hand, has 15 MLAs in the house.
( With inputs from ANI )
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