Goa Vikas Party rules out any replacement for party chief Pacheco

PANAJI: A day after Goa Vikas Party chief Fransisco Miccky Pacheco was jailed for six months, party leaders today ruled out change in guard on the regional front, and would wait for their leader to return.

"There cannot be any replacement for Miccky (Pacheco). He is in jail and will serve the sentence and will return to take over the reins of the party," said party General Secretary Lyndon Monteiro.

He ruled out any alternative as chief of the party in Pacheco's absence.

Monteiro said Pacheco's imprisonment is due to the political conspiracy against him.

"The party stands firmly behind Pacheco during this testing time," he said.

GVP with two legislators including Pacheco is supporting BJP-led government in the state.

Pacheco was a cabinet minister before his plea to suspend his sentence was turned down by the Supreme Court.

The legislator had tendered his resignation recently. The GVP leader known for his proximity to Pacheco said the party has been working in various constituencies and will be a major factor during upcoming 2017 state legislative Assembly polls.

"Our workers are spread across all the constituencies. They are working amid people. Right now our aim is to ensure that the party fulfils its promises made in the manifesto," Monteiro said.

He stated that the party will try all possible legal and constitutional ways to cut short Pacheco's sentence.

"We will try all the legal ways. We will be working within the laws to get our leader out from the jail," Monteiro added.