Pratima Betsy Coutinho , better known as Pratima Coutinho, is an Indian politician and advocate. She is the former Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee President. As of January 2022, she is serving as the Vice-President and Spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party Goa.
Wiki/Biography
Pratima Coutinho was born in 1974 (age 48 years; as of 2022) in Margao Goa. She did her graduation in law. While in college, Pratima was the president of the college’s cultural union.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Hair Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
Pratima is the daughter of John Mendonsa and Alka Elizabeth Mendonca. Her father was a the headmaster of St. Rita’s High School. Her mother was also a teacher. She has two sisters named Sonia Mendonca and Priyanka Mendonca Monteiro.
Pratima Coutinho’s parents
Pratima Coutinho’s sister Sonia Mendonca
Pratima Coutinho’s parents and her sister Priyanka Mendonca Monteiro
Husband & Children
Pratima Coutinho is married to Savio Hugo Coutinho, a politician, civil engineer, and LIC agent. Savio is associated with the AITC party. The couple has a son named Pratham Coutinho. They also have a daughter named Sasha Coutinho.
Pratima Coutinho with her husband, Savio Hugo Coutinho
Pratima Coutinho’s son, Pratham Coutinho
Pratima Coutinho’s daughter, Sasha Coutinho
Career
At the age of 18, Pratima joined the Youth Congress by paying a membership fee of Re. 1. At that time, Vijai Sardessai was the GPYC President. When she was 20 years old, Pratima was appointed as the General Secretary of GPYC. Soon after she pursued her graduation in Law, Coutinho became the Chairperson of the Legal Cell of Goa Congress. This gave her an opportunity to interact with the members of the Youth Congress from different states of India. She further represented Goa at various Youth Congress camps in cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Chennai.
Pratima Coutinho during a meet of the Youth Congress
During one such camp in Andhra Pradesh called the ‘Aam Admi Ka Sipahi’ Pratima addressed the gathering and came to the notice of Rahul Gandhi. Her speech was very elucidated and concise. Rahul got so impressed by her speech that he immediately asked his party members to appoint her as the Vice President of GPYC. She then served the Youth Congress in various capacities before becoming the Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee President. In March 2021, Pratima contested the Navelim Zilla Panchayat bypoll as a candidate of the Indian National Congress. She was defeated by the independent candidate Edwin Cipru Cardoso.
Pratima Coutinho as a member of the Indian National Congress
Subsequently, she resigned from her position. She took to Twitter to announce her decision. Pratima wrote,
I, Adv Pratima Betsy Coutinho hereby tender my resignation from the primary membership of Indian National Congress with immediate effect.”
Following her resignation, her seat was occupied by the then vice-president of Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee, Beena Shantaram.
In March 2021, Pratima joined the Aam Aadmi Party in the presence of its national convener Arvind Kejriwal. Welcoming her to the Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal tweeted,
Really happy to welcome one of the most dynamic young leaders of Goa Pratima Coutinho @adv_coutinho to AAP. Goa wants change, Goa wants young leaders like her to represent the Aam Aadmi of Goa.”
As of 2022, she is serving as the Vice President and Spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party (Goa).
Pratima Coutinho as a member of AAP
Pratima is also a former Deputy Mayor of the Margao Municipality of Goa. She has also remained the ex-market chairman of MMC Goa.
Controversies
- In 2014, Pratima was criticised by the media after her husband, Savio Coutinho, asked people to support Narendra Sawaikar, a BJP candidate in the April elections. However, Pratima later said that Savio has his own political ideology and her roots lie in Congress.
- In March 2021, after Pratima Coutinho resigned from her position of Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress President and joined the Aam Aadmi Party, Girish Chodankar, Goa state Congress President accused her of joining AAP for her selfish interests. He said that Pratima had committed political suicide by leaving Congress. He said, ” Pratima has still not understood the game of politics. In politics, two plus two does not equal four. If she has gone with AAP thinking that the votes she got and the votes AAP got will combine and she will win, that is not the way arithmetic works in politics.”
Favourities
- Holiday Destination: Dubai
Facts/Trivia
- Pratima Coutinho loves travelling and cooking in her leisure time.
- In 2012, she owned a Hyundai i10.
- In an interview, Pratima disclosed that her mother gave up her teaching career to look after her (Pratima’s mother’s) three daughters.
- Pratima draws her inspiration from her father. In an interview, she revealed that her father had always treated her like a boy in the family. Talking about her father, she further said,
I owe a lot to my father as it is he who always encouraged me to live my dreams.”