Babush to run UGDP, contest from Panaji, field 25 candidates
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 01 February 2016 21:06 ISTSt Cruz MLA Babush Monseratte has decided to take over and run the United Goans Democratic Party while personally contesting from Panaji the forthcoming Assembly election.
Radharao Gracias, who along with Anacleto Viegas has been running the UGDP, also confirmed that Babush would take hold of the party.
“Both of us are grown old and somebody needs to take ahead the cause of a regional party”, he told goanews.com.
Babush, on the other hand, informed that the UGDP would contest total 25 seats, including all the 12 seats from Tiswadi and Bardez.
“I will personally contest from Panaji this time. It’s final”, he told goanews.com.
Babush today announced a list of 21 candidates out of 30 for the CCP election of Panaji, which he is looking at as a launching pad for his political strategy.
Though he simply laughed out the question regarding his wife and Taleigao MLA Jennifer leaving the Congress to join him, Babush however confirmed that former MLA Francis Silveira would be his candidate from St Andre.
“At least two sitting Congress MLAs will join the UGDP”, he claimed while stating that his candidates would also include some sitting ZP members.
Not disclosing the constituencies, Babush said he would also field candidates in eight-seat Salcete and four-seat Mormugao.
These four coastal talukas are crucial in Goan politics as it has total 24 constituencies in the 40-member Goa Assembly.
The rest eight talukas have only 16 constituencies.
Following the strategy of independent legislators led by Vijai Sardesai, the St Cruz MLA plans to join the party only after his term gets over.
“I will appoint my man as the president of the party”, he said.
Gracias too confirmed that the general body meeting, probably to be held in March, would elect the whole new committee including the president.
“Neither me nor Viegas would be on the central committee any more”, he said.
After getting expelled from the Congress, Babush presently sits in the House as an unattached MLA.
In 2007, he was expelled by the UGDP for aligning with the BJP in an attempt to bring down then Congress government led by Digambar Kamat.
Later on, he had extended support to Kamat government and had also become the education minister in his cabinet.
He had left the Congress last minute in 2007 election to contest on UGDP ticket.
His tenure as the town and country planning minister is however still remembered by Goa due to the destructive Regional Plan 2011 he had prepared.
Babush had started his career in 2002 with the UGDP and finally also contested 2007 election once again as UGDP, though he travelled through the BJP and the Congress during those five years.
He as well as his wife Jennifer won both St Cruz and Taleigao seats on Congress ticket in 2012 in spite of a strong wave against the Family Raj.
This is the third time he would be contesting as the UGDP, but this time as its supremo.
“He has decided to come back where he started”, says Gracias.
Babush is a thug and master at musical chairs , his development will be known to Taligao which is a ticking time bomb with no ground water by 2020, and garbage mount with no disposal, he however will win the Panjim seat as people a still overwhelmed by A few Biryanis and Booze !!!!