Page 39 - Goa Assembly News Today

Speculations arose of a split in Goa Congress after five of the total 11 party MLAs– Michael Lobo, Digambar Kamat, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Faldesai and Delialah Lobo– went incommunicado on Sunday. 

Congress leader Michael Lobo was sacked as the leader of the opposition in Goa, sparking speculations of the minister switching over to the BJP.

After staving off a split, the Goa Congress has filed petitions with the Speaker to disqualify MLAs Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat for trying to engineer defections.

The Congress alleged that its leader Michael Lobo had engineered the defections along with the BJP.

The Congress has accused two of these legislators - Michael Lobo and former chief minister Digambar Kamat - of conspiring and hobnobbing with the ruling BJP.

Former Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar made an explosive claim that party MLAs have been offered Rs 40 crore to join the BJP.

Following the allegations of hatching a defection conspiracy in the Goa unit of the Congress party, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Monday said that he is "shocked and stunned".

Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Concerned over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conspiring to engineer defection in the party as five party MLAs go incommunicado, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has asked party MP Mukul Wasnik to rush to the coastal state to oversee the latest political developments. India News | Sonia Gandhi Sends Mukul Wasnik to Goa over defections in Congress.

Goa Congress-in charge Dinesh Gundu Rao hit out at Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat amid the mutiny buzz. Dinesh Gundu Rao said some people are greedy and the BJP is trying to bargain with them.

Dinesh Gundu Rao said the party has decided to remove Lobo from the position of Leader of Opposition.