Ex-Goa MLA, 4 others quit Trinamool, say Mamata’s party ‘trying to divide Goans’
“We had joined the AITC with a hope that it would bring brighter days for Goa and Goans. But it is unfortunate to bring to the notice that AITC has not understood Goa and Goans,” they said in the letter.
Five primary members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from poll-bound Goa, including former MLA Lavoo Mamledar, submitted their resignation to Mamata Banerjee alleged the party is “trying to divide Goans”.
In the resignation letter, Lavoo Mamledar, Ram Mandrekar, Kishor Parwar, Komal Parwar, and Sujay Mallik said it would not be possible for them to continue in the camp which is attempting to wage divisive politics in their home state.
“We had joined the AITC with a hope that it would bring brighter days for Goa and Goans. But it is unfortunate to bring to the notice that AITC has not understood Goa and Goans,” they said in the letter.
The members who quit the Trinamool questioned Mamata Banerjee's poll campaign in Goa in their resignation letter. “The company which you all have hired for your campaign in Goa is fooling Goans and they have not understood the pulse of Goans,” they said referring to I-PAC led by political strategist Prashant Kishor.
As an example, the party members highlighted the recently launched Griha Laxmi Scheme in Goa, under which the Trinamool promised to provide ₹5,000 to every woman in the state each month. By contrast, the equivalent TMC programme in West Bengal – the Laxmi Bhandar Scheme – only gives ₹500 to women every month.
“This clearly indicates that in Goa Griha Laxmi Scheme is nothing but a collection of data for elections by the company you all have hired as they don't have any data on the ground,” they alleged. “When AITC govt has failed to uplift women in West Bengal, we don't think it would do any good to our Goan mothers and sisters.”
The leaders also claimed the Trinamool has tried to divide Goans on the basis of religion by aligning with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party’s (MGP’s) Sudinda Dhavalikar.
Accusing the TMC of trying to polarise Hindu votes in Goa towards the MGP and Catholic votes towards itself, the leaders said, “We will not allow AITC and the company managing AITC Goa to break the secular fabric of the state and we shall protect it.”
