Congress strength decimated to 3 in Goa after 8 MLAs switch to BJP

Former Chief Minister Digamabar Kamat said in politics, decisions are based on the circumstances

Barely two months after surviving a coup, the Congress party's legislative strength in Goa was reduced to three MLAs on Wednesday, after eight legislators split the party and merged with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

On Wednesday morning, former chief minister Digambar Kamat and ex Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo and six other MLAs namely Aleixo Sequeira, Kedar Naik, Delilah Lobo, Rudolf Fernandes, Rajesh Phaldessai and Sankalp Amonkar met and signed a resolution to split from the Congress and form their own legislative group which merged into the BJP.

The resolution was sent via email to Goa assembly speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, who is away from Goa.

"We spoke to the Speaker of the state assembly over the phone and informed him about our decision," Lobo told reporters after the merger. Both Kamat and Lobo already face a disqualification case, filed by the Congress party, after their failed coup in July. The coup had failed after the rebels failed to galvanise the adequate number – eight – of legislators required to legally split the 11-member Congress party.

Wednesday's developments have brought down the number of Congress MLAs in the 40-member state assembly to three, while the BJP’s legislator count has now touched 28.

Kamat, a former Congress chief minister, in his parting shot, said that the party needed to start a 'Congress Jodo' campaign, rather than a ‘Bharat Jodo’ initiative, taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi's high-profile nationwide padayatra which went underway recently.

Also Read | 'Congress chhodo, BJP ko jodo,' says Michael Lobo as 8 MLAs jump ship

"A person makes decisions in politics based on circumstances. When I was not appointed as Leader of Opposition, I had said that what was going on in Congress was not right. And you can also draw conclusions from Ghulam Nabi Azad's letter. He said that instead of 'Bharat Jodo' there is a need for a ‘Congress Jodo’ programme," Kamat said while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s "vision" for India.

All India Congress Committee in charge of Goa Dinesh Gundu Rao has called the split "the height of betrayal and shamelessness" of the rebels.

"The destruction of democratic principles is in full display in #Goa. Offering huge monies, ministries and inducements the #BJP is trying to uproot the opposition. Shameful exercise of power and money by an authoritarian establishment," he also tweeted.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters that the BJP in Goa had grown to newer strengths due to the fresh induction of MLAs.

The induction of eight MLAs into the ruling camp is also expected to lead to a cabinet reshuffle with Kamat and Lobo tipped to get ministerial berths.