CM Pramod Sawant takes swipe at Rahul Gandhi, says its 'Congress Chhodo Yatra' in Goa

New Delhi: Eight Goa Congress MLAs on Wednesday jumped the ship and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade.

Welcoming the lawmakers, Sawant said: “Congress started the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, but I think ‘Congress Chhodo Yatra’ started in Goa. People from across the country are leaving Congress and joining BJP.”

The eight Goa lawmakers who left Congress and joined BJP are – former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes.

After joining the BJP, Michael Lobo said: “All top Congress leaders who strengthened the party will leave it in the coming days because of too much of differences among themselves. We are representing the people, will have to hear their voices; told us to leave and we are leaving.”

He further claimed that the people of Goa have told them that ‘Bharat Jodo yatra’ is not going to be a success because of “big infighting amongst the topmost leaders of the Congress party.”

Also Read: Congress breaking amid Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, 3/4th party MLAs in Goa to join BJP

“We have joined BJP to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Pramod Sawant… ‘Congress chhodo, BJP ko jodo’,” Lobo had said.

The Congress now is left with just three MLAs in the 40-member Goa Assembly. The party had 11 MLAs till this morning. Meanwhile, the BJP already holds a majority of 25 in the House of which its own 20 MLAs with two others from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and three independent leaders. After the joining of eight Congress MLAs, its count has now risen to 33.

The BJP retained power in the coastal state after the Goa Assembly elections in March this year.

Earlier today, a resolution was passed in the Congress Legislature Party meeting to merge with the BJP, Lobo said. The three other Congress MLAs – Yuri Alemao, Altone D’Costa and Carlos Alvares Ferreira – were not present when the resolution was passed, he added.

“The eight Congress MLAs have joined the BJP unconditionally,” Sawant had said.

With inputs from agencies

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