Party sacks LoP amid reports of MLAs planning to go over to BJP
Amid reports that the Goa Congress unit was rife with dissension and at least half a dozen MLAs were in touch with the BJP, the Congress on Sunday sacked Michael Lobo as the Leader of the Opposition in the Goa Assembly for allegedly trying to engineer defections in connivance with the BJP.
“A conspiracy was hatched by some of our own leaders — LoP Michael Lobo and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat — with the BJP to weaken the party and engineer defection,” said AICC Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao.
Rao flew into Panjim on Sunday amid speculation that some of the 11 party MLAs were about to jump the ship.
“Both of them had been working in coordination with the BJP. Digambar Kamat did it to protect himself against corruption cases, while Michael Lobo is eager to share power. The BJP wants to finish the Opposition,” Rao said. At least 8 MLAs will have to cross the floor to escape the provisions of the anti-defection law. “Many of our people have been offered huge amounts of money. I’m shocked at the amount offered. But our six MLAs stood firm, I’m proud of them,” said Rao, virtually admitting that five MLAs were negotiating with the BJP.
Former Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar alleged that his MLAs were offered `40 crore each to join the BJP. Chodankar claimed that industrialists and people from the coal mafia were calling Congress Legislators on the phone.
The Congress suffered a setback in Haryana, too. Rebel MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi, who has been warming up to the BJP after cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls last month, on Sunday met Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda. He is all set to join the ruling side of Haryana.
The Congress is also faced with internal dissension in Jharkhand where it is part of an alliance Government with the JMM(S).
Earlier in Goa, Congress denied any rift, with state unit chief Amit Patkar saying such rumours were being spread by the ruling BJP ahead of the two-week Budget Session of the Assembly. According to sources.