Eight of the 11 Congress leaders in Goa joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday, MLA Michael Lobo said, ANI reported.
“We have joined BJP to strengthen the hands of PM [Prime Minister] Modi and CM [Chief Minister] Pramod Sawant…‘Congress chhodo, BJP ko jodo’,” he added.
Along with Lobo, seven legislators – Digambar Kamat, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes – met Sawant earlier on Wednesday, ANI reported.
Kamat was the chief minister of Goa from 2007 to 2012. He was also the leader of Opposition from July 2019 to March 2022.
Lobo is currently the state leader of Opposition. Delilah Lobo is his wife and the MLA from the Siolim constituency.
Goa | 8 Congress MLAs incl Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira & Rudolf Fernandes to join BJP today; also met with CM Pramod Sawant pic.twitter.com/rAffvBqMzB
— ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2022
The three MLAs who remain in the Congress camp are Altone D’Costa, Yuri Alemao, and Carlos Ferreira.
Before this, the BJP had 20 MLAs in the 40-member Goa Assembly. The saffron party is in power with the support of two legislators from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and three Independents.
The Aam Aadmi Party has two MLAs, while the Goa Forward Party…
