Goa Congress spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik quits, joins TMC

In a big political move, Goa Pradesh Congress Spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik has resigned from the Congress party and pledged her allegiance to the state Trinamool Congress.

"All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) Goa In-charge Mahua Moitra presided over the event, and welcomed a diligent people's spokesperson like her, into the party fold," said a press release by TMC on Wednesday.

Goa TMC welcomes a fiery advocate like her into the AITC family, and notes that it is with the passion and resolve of women leaders like her that TMC will usher in a 'New Dawn' in Goa, according to the statement.

Speaking to the members of the press, Naik noted that her move had been inspired by a single-minded drive to work for her constituency of Sanguem, as per the press release. "I have decided to join @AITC4Goa TMC only after getting firm assurance from them that there will be no compromise on development of Sanguem and also a commitment from the party to stand by Sanguenkars through thick and thin.", she noted in a tweet.

"Her resignation letter, addressed to the President of Goa Pradesh Congress resonates a similar sentiment, where she writes that she had "started to get despondent in the party owing to the directionless leadership," accoring to the press release. Naik has been a vocal advocate for the people of Goa and has repeatedly raised her voice against governance failures, even when it came from within the ranks of her own party.

Prior to joining the Congress in October 2021, she served as the Vice President of Shiv Sena in Goa for four long years. Her move from Shiv Sena to the Congress was based on "the understanding that the party (Shiv Sena) had not been working in the interest of the state". However, at the Goa Pradesh Congress too she faced similar setbacks.

In November 2021, she even slammed the incumbent MLA Prasad Gaonkar for not following through with the election promises and failing to provide basic amenities to the villages of Karla, Patre, Kumari in Sanguem.Noting that this trend of shutting down party members who dared to raise a voice against wrongdoings of the state is nothing but harmful for the people of Goa, she added, "Today's government is not only incompetent, but also highly insensitive. There is zero consideration for women and minorities, jobs assigned for the youth are sold to the highest bidder. My fight has always been on ideologies, and I will continue to raise my voice against the failures of the government. We want development and I want the issues faced by my people of Sanguem solved. For that, we have to send this administration home, and only TMC can do that.