No permanent friend or foe in politics: Victoria

Panaji, July 26: The lone woman legislator in the 40-member Goa Legislative Assembly, Mrs Victoria Fernandes, who quit the membership of both the House and the Congress party by raising a banner of revolt today, is the happiest of the lot.

She is celebrating her 73rd birthday today.

She is fondly called as 'Mommy' by one and all, including the slum dwellers of her Santa Cruz constituency for the meritorious service she had rendered to them for years.

''There is no permanent friend or foe in politics,'' she told sources while accepting birthday greetings. She was also known for active role in mobilising women in the historic 'Opinion Poll' for keeping Goan identity intact against its merger with Maharashtra.

A well known social worker throughout her life and president of the Goa Boxing Federation, she fought her way with the Congress to get the party ticket for the June 2 elections to the Goa legislative assembly.

She had organised a massive rally from her constituency to the Congress House in the city to show her strength even as her supporters gheraoed the GPCC president and now home minister Ravi S. Naik demanding her re-nomination from the constituency.

She won with a thumping majority by defeating her rival Jennifer who was forced to contest on UGDP ticket with bitter rivalry even as Babush campaigned against her against the party norms.

Victoria hurled a heap of abuses and derided Babush for his alleged anti-people and holliganism besides demanding the Congress to take stern action against him for indulging in money and muscle power in elections.

She launched a hunger strike demanding cabinet berth but withdrew it later as she was administered the oath of office and secrecy as the Parliamentary Secretary by Chief Minister Digambar kamat.

The urge in her however did not die as the "mom" had to keep mum in the House and added to this was the humiliation she had been subjected to. She had no right to note on papers sent to her as parliamentary secretary.

The decision of the Congress to move a privilige motion against her for defying the party whip to attend the House on Tuesday for voting during the budget demands debate, hurt her more.

This resulted in her going closer to one time enemy Babush and others including BJP opposition leader Manohar Parrikar coming to one platform to raise a banner of revolt against 49-day Digambar Kamat government.

She had fired her first salvo by tendering her resignation from primary membership of the party as also the House today. ''I had also spoken to speaker Pratapsingh Rane about this besides faxing the letter to governor,'' Mrs Victoria said.

Interestingly, she was scheduled to share platform with Chief Minister Digambar Kamat today at 1000 hrs at a stone laying ceremony for an international standard indoor volleyball stadium at the government village school playground in her constituency under the Sports Authority of Goa.

But she was participating in a meeting with the BJP, SGF, MGP, UGDP and others at a hotel close to BJP headquarters to work out strategies for the forming the government.

''I will tell you my future course of action shortly after conferring with the opposition parties," she said.

Governor S C Jamir, now away in Delhi for the last two days, is expected to arrive tomorrow.

UNI