MARGAO: In what is perceived as a setback to Goa Forward Party (GFP) in its expansion plans, Yuri Alemao, son of former Congress legislator Joaquim Alemao, resigned from the primary membership of the party on Thursday.
The move has, however, not come as a surprise to political observers, as Yuri was, of late, seen cosying up to Congress leadership, and was even seen with leader of opposition Digambar Kamat at the anti-coal protest at Chandor, recently.
Responding swiftly to Yuri’s resignation, GFP dissolved its Cuncolim block committee and announced that the new panel would be constituted soon.
The party however downplayed his resignation. “…he was never given any position or post in the party. We have thousands of primary members in the party across Goa and Yuri was one of them,” joint secretary of GFP, Santosh Kumar Sawant said.
Eyes firmly set on Cuncolim constituency soon after the 2017 elections, GFP had inducted Yuri into the party fold in October 2018 and projected him as its candidate for the 2022 polls.
“As part of our party’s expansion plans, we have selected Yuri Alemao as our prospective candidate from Cuncolim constituency,” GFP vice-president Durgadas Kamat had told reporters on October 4, 2018, and a week later even opened the party’s office in Cuncolim.