PANAJI: Congress received a boost in the state capital with three-time corporator and disgruntled BJP karyakarta Menino da Cruz joining the party on Saturday. In the coming days, Congress expects several other former corporators and prominent residents of Panaji to join its ranks.
Party president Girish Chodankar said Congress plans to focus its organisational efforts on Panaji to try and rebuild the block.
“I joined Congress because BJP is not the same BJP I joined in 2006,” said Cruz, a former Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) corporator. “People like us helped build the party, but now it looks like the party does not need us any more and I don’t want to demean myself by remaining in BJP.”
Cruz, who is known to be close to several BJP functionaries, said many of the traditional BJP karyakartas are upset with the way the party has changed. He said he would work with Congress, particularly with Panaji block president Joel Andrade, to ensure that Congress wins the Panaji constituency in the upcoming assembly elections.
Having been associated with BJP for close to 15 years, Cruz resigned after the party dropped his name from the list of candidates for the CCP elections. He was dropped at the behest of Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate, following which he openly campaigned against BJP and even supported Congress-backed candidates wherever possible.
“We are focusing on Panaji as it is the state capital. Having an MLA here is a major focus for us,” said Chodankar.
Monserrate was elected on a Congress ticket as the Panaji MLA, but he soon switched over to BJP and with him, a significant part of the Congress block followed suit. Monserrate’s entry and the ease with which he is calling the shots within BJP has also rankled the party’s karyakartas.
“Many of my former colleagues are not happy. There is no satisfaction within BJP. For the last year or so, the party never called us or spoke to us,” said Cruz.