Mamata-Kishor Chalking Out Mission TMC For Poll-Bound Goa

Looks like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s plans to make a big bang start in Goa on October 28 may not quite happen. That is because she is not able to get the right kind of line-up of leaders — from the Congress and other smaller parties — to join her Trinamool Congress (TMC). Her key advisor strategist Prashant Kishor (PK) has been working on it for weeks. Yet he has not been able to make much headway. Initially, PK was lucky in persuading former CM Luizinho Faleiro, ex- Goa Pradesh Congress Committee chief, to join the TMC. Faleiro had helped the Congress clinch a big win in 2017 by picking up 17 of the 40 seats — the BJP won only 13 seats and yet managed to form the government with the support of smaller parties. Faleiro is expected to draw the right mix of leaders to the TMC Goa but there has not been much headway. Of Goa’s 40 seats, 21 are from the largely Hindu North and 19 seats from the mainly Catholic South. Mamata is keen on getting Goa Forward Party leader Vijai Sardesi (who is seen tilting towards Congress’ working president Alexio Sequeira) and his two MLAs. Mamata even got a high profile TV anchor who flaunts his Goa connection and common surname to boot to call up Vijai Sardesai.