Congress to referee unholy alliance between Churchill - Mickky or NCP? -- By Nisser Dias

Lots of permutations and combinations seem to be in play with the 2017 assembly elections a few months away. The call by the Congress for a grand alliance of secular political parties to keep communal parties away seems to have brought strange bedfellows together.

Political party bosses are keeping things close to their chest, but hint that so many things are happening, including meetings between leaders, that the situation at the moment is very fluid.

Sources in the Congress said that some party leaders have held talks with Nuvem MLA Francisco Pacheco alias 'Mickky' for an alliance with Goa Vikas Party. The GVP chief, at his end, has demanded three seats in exchange. Pacheco told that while lots of things are happening, he would not like to disclose anything at the moment. But, he acknowledged that he received feelers from the national party.

Sources said it is not clear whether Pacheco made the first move as his prospects under the GVP banner are far from bright in Nuvem.

Pacheco said, for an alliance, certain issues would have to be sorted out."In my election manifesto, I will promise to resolve issues like that of the medium of instruction (MoI), regional plan, mining and Mopa airport among others, which the Congress could not deliver to the people during their seven years in government. Parties should resolve what they promise in their manifesto. If this is agreeable to them, then we can go forward," he said and added, "The Congress has realized that they cannot do without me as certain constituencies are with me."

The GVP supremo has been on record saying the Congress has harassed him and continues to do so. Sources in the Congress revealed that Pacheco has demanded Benaulim, Nuvem and Cortalim constituencies for his party as the first two are already in his kitty, and he has developed quite a stronghold in the latter.

Congress, on the other hand, seems to have put a rider that GVP nominate Churchill Alemao to the Benaulim seat, a fact Pacheco did not deny when questioned. "Black is black, I cannot tell people that a crow is white," he said.

Sources in the Congress disclosed that with this move the party is sticking to its stance that persons chargesheeted will not be allotted party tickets, but, at the same time, is helping Churchill resurrect his political career through GVP by sacrificing their own interests. The former public works department (PWD) minister informed that at the moment he has decided to contest as an independent as there is no indication that Congress will give him a ticket and that he will disclose his plans only by September end.

The Nationalist Congress party (NCP) has approached Churchill Alemao to join the party so that it can nominate him from Benaulim, sources said.

The GVP chief has on many occasions made it clear that he might not allot a party ticket to his sitting MLA, Caetano D'Silva alias Caitu, who is also not keen on contesting on the GVP ticket given the strained relationship he shares with the party boss. Pacheco was interested in Maria Rebello as a party candidate, but she told that she has not committed to anyone on this matter.  Former sarpanch of Cavelossim Edwin Barreto was nominated by the local Congress block recently when the exercise was conducted across the state last month. When asked where this behind-the-scenes politics leaves him, he said, "At any cost, the party should give me the ticket as I can win the seat for the Congress." When asked to comment on GVP's demand that Benaulim assembly constituency is "theirs", he said, "There is nothing like mine and yours in politics as once it was MGP's seat, then Congress' and currently is with the GVP. So in 2017, it will be Congress."