Cong will return to power with people’s support, says Aldona MLA
Mapusa: Thanking the constituents of Aldona for supporting him, local MLA and working president of the state Congress party, Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira, urged the people to be united and help him defeat evil forces to bring back the Congress government to power in the state.
He was speaking at his 60th birthday celebrations held at Bastora on Thursday. Present were AICC Goa In-Charge Manikrao Thakare, State Congress president Girish Chodankar, Deputy SpeakerMapusa MLA Joshua De Souza, Former Minister Govind Gaude,former Aldona MLA Dayanand Narvekar, lawyers Dr Claude Alvares and Padma Shri Senior Advocate Norma Alvares, Senior Congress functionaries Shri M K Shaik, Amarnath Panjikar, and Former Goa Speaker Tomazinho Cardozo & his wife Irene Cardozo Ex MLAs Agnelo Fernandes, José Philip D Souza, Victor Gonsalves, Dr Pramod Salgaonkar, Congress party workers and supporters, panch members from various panchayats in the constituency, well-wishers, childhood friends, and a large number of supporters who had gathered for the celebration. Earlier in the day, Goa Assembly Speaker Dr Ganesh Gaonkar, Opposition MLA Yuri Alemao, Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, Delailah Lobo, MLA, Former GPCC president Amit Patkar and others also greeted him.
Ferreira thanked the people of Aldona constituency for electing him and putting Corjuem on the world map.
“I want to thank you not only for putting Corjuem not just on the map of India in great light but also internationally after you elected me as your MLA. Mahatma Gandhi said that India lives in the villages, and as children I remember there were no lights, no electricity, there was no telephone, no piped water. We used to draw water from the well and have a bath in the kolso near the well. We would sleep with pontios, and with petromax. That was the simple life, the best life, and my father told me if you want to live long, go to Corjuem and join that place,” he said.
The Aldona MLA also said that it was a very difficult decision whether to contest the election or not.
“People from Corjuem came and asked me year after year, ‘we would like you to contest.’ Every time I was dodging. I didn’t know what was the road ahead. I was never in politics though I was always with politicians behind the scenes. I had never gone on the ground and I knew it was going to be a new kind of an experience. Though I am a lawyer, it’s not easy when you fight matters and you fight the state,” he said.
“As a lawyer I can reach a certain number of people who come to me; as a politician I can reach more people whether they come to me or not, and I can reach out to them and I don’t believe in territorial boundaries. I believe it is humanity which we need to serve. I am 60, but i think I am still not 60. I am not retiring. I want to thank you for your support. I want you all to be together. Let us defeat the evil forces and we will bring the Congress government back,” he said.
Thakare, who flew in from Mumbai for the celebration, said that Ferreira is a strong leader.
“Carlos is working with zeal and his ideology is to work and take everyone along. He raises issues concerning the entire state. Social service runs in his blood. People of Goa are with him, and he is a strong leader. On behalf of the Congress party and our leaders Khargeji, Soniaji & LOP Rahul Gandhi, we extend our best wishes to him,” he said.
Chodankar said that Ferreira as an MLA raises pertinent issues in the Assembly
“He is doing a good job for Goans. He is a good lawyer. He has worked in the Congress party for many years in different capacities. During the Congress government he was appointed Advocate General and created a record for being among the youngest to be appointed. I wish he continues working for Goans, and raises questions pertaining to Goans. We wish him good health and I hope he continues to serve Goans and his people in the constituency,” he said.
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