The secretary of the Civil House of (Republicans), Arthur Lima, and the president of the São Paulo directory of , Milton Leite, discussed the support of the União Progressista federation for this year’s governor in a meeting this Thursday morning (8), at Palácio dos Bandeirantes.
The meeting took place amid threats from , which forms the federation with the Union, not to support the re-election of Tarcísio — the president of the party, , who was already one of the main enthusiasts of a presidential candidacy for the governor, , as the Sheet revealed, giving way to Flávio Bolsonaro (PL).
Tarcísio is on vacation in the United States and should only return next week. Arthur Lima, considered his right-hand man, received Leite to discuss with the leader the release of party amendments from his bench to city halls in the interior.
According to an interlocutor, Lima left the meeting saying that Leite reinforced the support of the federation — and not just the Union — for any position that Tarcísio might run for, in a sign that, for allies in São Paulo, a candidacy for the Presidency is not ruled out. The secretary was contacted, but preferred not to comment.
Milton Leite confirmed the federation’s support for Tarcísio in São Paulo, but said that the conversation sought to guarantee the release of the party’s parliamentary amendments to cities indicated by the deputies.
The state leader stated that the process of releasing resources has been very slow — a complaint reported by the PP in the party statement that announced the possibility of ceasing to support the governor —, but said that “sometimes, it is the city hall that does not register [correto das demandas nos sistemas estaduais]”.
The meeting reveals a split in the União Progressista federation in São Paulo. For members of the Union, it is the party that commands the federation in the state, the largest electoral college in the country. For members of the PP, the leadership lies with the party itself.
The governor, three days after the senator announced that he had received his father’s nomination. Those around Tarcísio in São Paulo began to assess, in the following days, that the governor has not moved to remove the senator from the candidacy.
Allies, including in sectors of the São Paulo PL, also report that they have expectations that Flávio will give up running and release his candidacy for president to the governor.
