Team Herald

PANJIM: The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) on Tuesday condemned the poaching two of its MLAs and termed a “murder of democracy” and “insult to people’s mandate”. The Congress legislative wing has alleged that the saffron party used money and muscle power to ensure they continue to govern the State. It also unanimously resolved to field candidates in Mandrem and Shiroda in the by-elections.

Shaken by the sudden resignation of two of its MLAs, the CLP had a day-long meeting in an attempt to ensure there is no further split. The cell phones of all the MLAs were confiscated during the meeting, to avoid any contact with other parties. Even though all 14 MLAs, and Congress President 

Girish Chodankar, were present for the meeting, there is speculation that two more could quit the party soon.

Sources reveal that Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar urged the MLAs to remain together as the party cannot afford public wrath again. “Babu was clear, that after much hard work the party was able to win the people’s trust, was able to repose faith in the people and any further division will upset the voters,” sources said. 

Addressing media persons, Kavlekar said this is the second time BJP has murdered and insulted democracy. “In the 2017 elections, despite failing to get the people’s mandate, they formed the government using money and muscle power. They murdered democracy and insulted the people’s mandate. They repeated the same by poaching our MLAs,” he said. 

“The move is highly condemnable. It also clearly shows that power-hungry BJP can stoop to any level to save themselves. It is a party that never respected people’s mandate,” Kavlekar said, adding that the people of Mandrem and Shiroda will teach the two leaders a lesson in the by-elections. 

He recalled how Sopte had joined BJP in 2012 election was defeated by the people, forcing him to return to the Congress.

Senior Poriem MLA Pratapsingh Rane said the act is a murder of democracy. “It is not right on part of any democratic party to poach some other party’s MLAs,” he said. He said that being in a matured democracy, political parties should not indulge in such type of activities. 

Navelim MLA and another former CM, Luizinho Faleiro, said BJP has not only murdered democracy but murdered the people’s mandate. “They have insulted the people and insulted the Constitution. This is a most shameful act and we condemn this,” he said.

Faleiro said that the people of Goa did not deserve this kind of politics. “It shows that BJP wants to be in power by hook or by crook, for that you are using Governor’s office, government machinery. It is a matter of shame. We are showing the country how these people can stoop so low that they are tripling the mandate given by the people,” he said.  

Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco accused BJP of betraying the trust of the people. “Both the MLAs have gone for their personal gains. We will field candidates against them and prove that Congress is what people’s choice is,” he said.