MICKKY SAYS HE WILL NOT COMPROMISE ON NUVEM SEAT

MARGAO: Former Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco has asserted that he will not compromise on his decision to contest the coming Assembly polls from Nuvem constituency.  “I want to make categorically clear that in politics I will not compromise with anyone. I will contest only in Nuvem. This is my constituency as I have the right to cast my vote in this constituency”, he told newsmen on Tuesday.

The Benaulim MLA has said that his party has given him clear instructions to identify and groom candidates for all the 40 constituencies. “I am in the process of identifying good candidates who will support the cause of Goa and Goans”, he added. The former Tourism Minister said that the Congress cannot defy the NCP decision to induct him in the Digambar Kamat Cabinet.

Saying that it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to induct Ministers in the Ministry if the government is run by a single party, Mickky reminded that the government in Goa is a coalition between the Congress and the NCP and the Congress leaders cannot refuse his induction in the Ministry. “The Congress cannot defy the NCP instructions, especially after party supremo Sharad Paward ordered my induction in the cabinet”, he asserted.

Saying that he is a loyal soldier of the NCP, Pacheco said he would abide by the NCP decision on the issue.

Refuting allegations made by Congress leaders that he is involved in a murder case, Mickky said there’s not even a chargesheet filed against him in the Nadia death case. “Where is the murder case. Nadia’s death is a suicide case. And the crime branch have only made baseless charges”, he said and lashed out at the Congress leaders accusing them being involved in a host of criminal cases.

“The whole word know which Minister is involved in extortion, attempt to murder, convicted for payment of fines et al. I need not tell the people of Goa about the antecedents of these Ministers”, he added.

Saying that he is keeping his fingers crossed over his induction, Mickky challenged the Congress leaders to ask for dissolution of the Assembly and fresh election to seek fresh mandate from the people. “If they have the guts, let them propose dissolution of the Assembly and go for fresh polls. I will tell my NCP leaders that the party should go alone by fielding candidates in all the 40 seats. God and the people of Goa are with me and they will give NCP a clear cut mandate”, he said.

Saying the Congress leaders are afraid of his growing popularity in the state, Mickky further claimed that the Congress Ministers kept him out of the Cabinet as they knew that their skeletons will come out of their cupboards once he was inside the Ministry.

“I have proved that I am not corrupt during my tenure as a Minister. These ministers are afraid that their misdeeds will come out if I am in the Cabinet”, he said and exuded confidence that people of Goa would trust him to give them a good government in the coming polls.