Five-time MLA and Trinamool Congress leader Churchill Alemao
Gomantak Times
Five-time MLA and Trinamool Congress leader Churchill Alemao on Monday announced that the 2022 Goa Assembly elections would be his last polls.
Urging people to support him, Alemao said, "I have completed 72 years of age. This election is my last election. Please stand firmly behind me."
“I have joined different parties during my political innings, my strength and victory lies with my supporters and voters. I joined various parties and supported the ruling for a simple reason to bring about development in my constituency," he added.
He further said if he has joined TMC today, it is because of his trust in the West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee and TMC is the only party that can defeat BJP. "TMC has come up with good plans for Goa. And in the future, TMC will come to power in Goa. Only Mamata Banerjee has the strength to fight Modi and Shah and there is no alternative but Trinamool to oust the BJP from power," the 72-year old said.
Alemao, who is likely to contest from Benaulim again, is reportedly keen to field his daughter, Valanka Alemao, from the Navelim seat. Valanka has already started campaigning in Navelim as an aspirant for the TMC ticket.
Alemao has won polls over the last several decades as a candidate of different political parties, In the 2017 Assembly elections, Alemao won the Benaulim seat by a margin of 5191 votes as a candidate of NCP. But three times before that he had won from Benaulim on different party tickets – the Goa People’s Party (GPP) in 1990, the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) in 1995, and the Congress in 1999. In 2007, Alemao won the neighbouring seat of Navelim as a Congress nominee.
He has also been an MP from South Goa twice. He was elected to the 11th Lok Sabha in 1996 on the UGDP ticket. In 2004, however, he was elected to the Lok Sabha as a Congress nominee.
He had even served as the Goa Chief Minister for 19 days – from March 27, 1990, to April 14, 1990 – during his stint with the GPP, thereby becoming the first Goa CM from the Catholic Christian community.
