After entering Trinamool Congress party at Daboli airport, Jangi was given a warm welcome after arriving at Daboli airport.
GT Team
Newly-turned Trinamool Congress leader Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who was one of three remaining Congress MLAs in Goa, slammed his former party for sidelining him upon arrival at Dabolim airport.
“The Congress on many occasions even sidelined me, still I never raised objections as I don't want to create problems for the party. I never asked for a working president post but they made me. After that I gave many suggestions to form an alliance with Goa Forward, MGP and fight BJP. I asked the party to include Rohan Khawante and even Michael Lobo on the board. My only request was that they should not miss a single opportunity but they turned a deaf ear. Then I saw TMC doing something and I saw TMC having some fire to do something head-on and hence I decided to join them,” Reginaldo said.
"I have been working for the community and helping people, and I am still serving today. This is the 32nd year. With no political background and loud proclamation I became MLA from Zilla Parishad. Every time I fell, I got up and became a stronger man. It was all because of my family and supporters, who always stood by me," he added.
After Reginaldo's exit from the party, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar described the former Curtorim's MLA move as 'selfish' and called him a traitor. “We had expected that this time he (Reginaldo) would show some maturity and overcome his childish ways. But he has disappointed (us) again. For many people, this may not be shocking.”
Taking on Chodankar, he said, “I want to ask Girish Chodankar what he did when ten MLAs moved out and he got the party from 16 to 2 MLAs. Let anyone prove if I have taken money from CM Dr Pramod Sawant. I want to ask Digambar Kamat, Dinesh Gundu Rao and Girish Chodankar many questions but not make allegations as I have a class. I want to tell them that I have been the voice of opposition in a stable and consistent mindset."
Hitting back at his haters and critics, Reginaldo said, "Whether you like me or hate me, I will speak the truth. Today I will speak from my heart because I am particularly affected by my critics who have a false agenda against me. Like I have taken money to join the Trinamool. I want to tell my Facebook critics that I have not made any money and I have not bought any house. I am a normal person and my people know all the truth. I don't remember the day I ever dined at a star hotel with my family. My heart cries when I hear this. But some people are saying that I took the money. I would like to tell them that as an MLA I have never discriminated between religion-caste-rich-poor and have worked selflessly. I have never been and will never work for money or anything, but for the benefit of Goa which I have always put first in my priorities.”
Congress is now down to just two MLAs from the 17 seats it won in the 2017 state assembly elections. Ten of its MLAs defected to the BJP in 2019. Later, two ex-chief ministers Luizinho Faleiro and Ravi Naik went to the TMC and BJP respectively.