Former Goa chief minister and Trinomool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Luizinho Faleiro has submitted his resignation from the Upper House of Parliament, according to party sources on Tuesday. Faleiro had long been excluded from party activities in Goa, but the TMC leadership was urging him to leave the Rajya Sabha.
According to TMC insiders, Faleiro's refusal to contest in the 2022 Assembly election in Fatorda against Vijai Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party has angered the Mamata Banerjee-led party. When the TMC made its much-anticipated entry into the coastal state, it asked Rajya Sabha MP Arpita Ghosh to resign because her tenure didn't end until 2026 and instead appointed Faleiro to the Upper House in 2021.
TMC responded to the resignation by saying, "We hope Mr. Luizinho Faleiro has a long and healthy life. We truly hope that he would continue to relentlessly serve the Goan people and work for the state's growth and success. As soon as the election is announced, AITC will name a new candidate."
The Trinamool Congress made the decision to increase its presence in Goa and the north-eastern States after defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the West Bengal Assembly elections of 2021. However, the Trinamool Congress failed to win any seats in the Goa Assembly in February 2022 despite a loud campaign. The party was able to win 5.2% of the vote, but its poor showing in Goa and other north-eastern states resulted in the party losing its national party status.
The Trinamool Congress did not have any impact in the recently held elections in Tripura, but it did so in Meghalaya, where it gained five Assembly seats. The party has proposed Sushmita Dev for election to the Rajya Sabha in addition to Mr. Faleiro. Earlier, Ms. Dev belonged to the Congress party. According to Trinamool sources, the party is seeking legal counsel on the loss of its national party status.
Faleiro began his political career in the 1980s and has held various positions in both state and national politics. He has been a member of the Goa Legislative Assembly four times and has also served as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2014.
In addition to his political career, Faleiro has also worked as a journalist and as a professor of economics. He has written several books on economics and social issues, and has also been involved in various social and cultural organizations in Goa. Faleiro is known for his strong support for the statehood of Goa, and has also been an advocate for the rights of the people of Goa in matters such as mining and environmental issues.
