PANJIM: Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Thursday said the merger of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) comprising of eight MLAs with the BJP has been accepted.
“Merger has been accepted. On Wednesday, I was in Delhi. Hence, after coming back to Goa the same evening, the process was completed,” Tawadkar told mediapersons.
Tawadkar was in New Delhi for the courtesy visit to meet President of India Droupadi Murmu. The same morning in Goa, two third of the CLP (eight MLAs) joined the BJP.
In the absence of the Speaker, the merger letter was submitted to the Secretary of the Goa Assembly.
Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo, former chief minister Digambar Kamat, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Rajesh Faldessai, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes, switched their sides from the grand-old party to the saffron fold.
Secretary Namrata Ulman in a bulletin issued has confirmed the merger of two-thirds of Congress into the BJP.
“Whereas the Indian National Congress Party (INC) in the Goa Legislative Assembly, has merged into Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a communication to that effect has been addressed, by members of the Goa Legislative Assembly, namely Michael Lobo, Digambar Kamat, Aleixo Sequeira, Sankalp Amonkar, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Faldessai and Rodolfo Fernandes, MLAs,” Assembly bulletin said.
“Therefore, Speaker has taken note of the same and accordingly, seats are allotted to the members as members of Bhartiya Janata Party in the House,” it further said.
