MICKKY PACHECO TO CONTEST FROM NUVEM SAYS CLOSE CONFIDANTE LYNDON MONTEIRO

MARGAO: Mr Francisco Xavier Pacheco alias Mickky will contest from the Nuvem constituency and on the Nationalist Congress Party ticket, categorically stated his ex-OSD and close confidante, Mr Lyndon Monteiro, on Friday, at a press conference held to announce various schemes for the birthday of ex-tourism minister.

The press conference was held at Mickky’s office cum residence at Betalbatim.  Mr Pacheco is the current NCP Benaulim MLA and Nuvem (or presently Loutolim) MLA is the Power Minister, Mr Aleixo Sequeira and the NCP and the Congress are in a coalition government in the state and the Centre.

The press conference was held in the presence of ZP members, Ms Nelly Rodrigues, and significantly, Mr Domnick Gaonkar and Mr Wilfred D’ Sa (Nuvem constituency) saw Mr Monteiro telling media that “Mickky will contest from Nuvem and Mickky is firmly with the NCP.”

“Please understand that he (Mickky) is strongly with NCP and will contest from Nuvem on the NCP ticket. He has already informed his high command about his desire to contest from Nuvem and I am sure if there is a seat sharing with Congress, the NCP high command will take note of the same and accordingly accommodate him from Nuvem,” he said.

When asked for the reason for this step when Mr Pacheco was the Benaulim MLA he said that “Mickky’s aim is that he should contest from the constituency that he is a voter.”

The newly elected president of the party, Mr Surendra Sirsat, when asked about whether Mr Pacheco had indeed spoken to the high command said: “I don’t know whether any representation to the high command since I have I taken over just a short while ago.”

However, strangely and significantly, he told media that since “ he (Mickky) has categorically stated that he is a part of the NCP this will put to rest the rumours that he is floating some other party or joining some other party.” 

Meanwhile, Mr Monteiro told media that the question of denying the ticket by NCP does not arise because Mickky is a senior leader of the state unit of NCP.

“He has been elected three times, twice from NCP. No other leader is there in Goa of the NCP as senior as he is,” he stated, adding that Mickky has been a loyal soldier of the party and “matter of fact so many decisions, so many developments have been taken by the high command. And time to time Mickky has been a party to these decisions and he has accepted the decisions and he has been moving as per the decisions of the high command.”