E-Paper
Goa election: Ex-CM Luizinho Faleiro no longer Trinamool candidate from Fatorda
Luizinho Faleiro, former Goa chief minister who recently switched over to TMC from Congress, said he has decided to hand over to a young female professional.
Trinamool Congress national vice-president Luizinho Faleiro on Friday withdrew his candidature from Goa’s Fatorda assembly constituency. Days ahead of the assembly elections, Faleiro, former Goa chief minister who recently switched over from Congress, said he has decided to hand over to a young female professional on the lines of the party’s policy to empower women.
“I announce my withdrawal as Goa TMC candidate from Fatorda and hand over the baton to a young woman, a professional. That has been the policy of the party - to empower the women,” Faleiro told a press conference in Panaji.
Faleiro joined TMC in September and was elected to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal, where Mamata Banerjee’s party has an overwhelming majority. Considered to be a prized asset for the TMC in Goa, Faleiro's candidature was announced from the Fatorda assembly seat. But he has been replaced with legal activist Seoula Vas.
Follow full election coverage here
The Rajya Sabha member said he took the decision after consulting the party's national chairperson, adding that he would like to campaign all over Goa for all the TMC candidates so that they can perform well in the coming elections.
“My earlier experience says that when I fought the election last time, we could not do justice to them. To replace me, we have a very able Seoula Vas, who will represent the Fatorda constituency,” the former Goa CM said announcing the candidate’s name.
In an attempt to increase its footprint outside Bengal, Trinamool has inducted several former Congress leaders into its party. The Trinamool Congress became the principal opposition party in November last year after 12 Congress leaders, including former Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma, quit the grand old party and joined TMC.
