Has ex-Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao joined BJP?

BENAULIM: Several villagers in Benaulim village in South Goa were shocked to see images of Churchill Alemao attending the recent rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the KTC bus stand, flashed on social media. Sources said Churchill maybe on his way to the BJP in the hopes of getting a BJP ticket from South Goa for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Alemao had contested the last state assembly elections in 2022 from the Benaulim constituency as a Trinamool Congress candidate and lost. Earlier this year, he resigned from the TMC, after several differences with the local TMC leadership.

However, he is said to have maintained a good relationship with the Goa BJP, chief minister Pramod Sawant and Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Tanawade. He is hoping (against hope) to get a BJP ticket from South Goa for the Lok Sabha polls to be held in April-May this year. It is learnt that his team is lobbying with the BJP leadership in New Delhi, desperately trying to portray him as a winnable candidate and deserving of a ticket. Sources said Team Churchill has also appointed a political PR agency in Delhi to “spread the word”. BJP leaders in South Goa refused to comment on the development.