Team Herald
MARGAO: On the second anniversary of the defection by eight of its MLAs, the Congress party took a pledge to defeat these former members in the 2027 Goa Assembly elections. The Congress announced that none of the defector MLAs will be re-admitted and will not be granted party tickets, like in 2022 polls where the party did not entertain those who had switched their loyalties.
Two former MLAs who had defected were desperately trying Congress renomination in 2022 but were not entertained. It was only in 2017 polls that the party gave tickets to some defectors, but again paid the price as they defected.
Numerous Congress leaders and their supporters assembled at Lohia Maidan, Margao, On Saturday, voicing their frustration over the defection of eight MLAs. The gathering was marked by strong sentiments against the former members who switched parties.
The Congress also accused Margao MLA Digambar Kamat of orchestrating the defection, alleging that he was the mastermind behind the shift of the MLAs to the BJP.
Additionally, the Congress leaders accused the eight defector MLAs of being part of a broader nexus involved in several detrimental activities. They claimed that these MLAs were contributing to the selling of Goan land, environmental destruction and widespread corruption in the State.
Addressing the gathering, South Goa Member of Parliament Capt Viraito Fernandes urged the people of Margao to deliver a decisive lesson to their MLA, Digambar Kamat, in the upcoming Assembly elections.
He emphasised the importance of holding Kamat accountable for his alleged role in the defection of the eight Congress MLAs.
“Kamat is the master of defection. He, along with others, has not only betrayed the Congress, but also deceived the people and even God,” he charged. “Such individuals should not be allowed to hold positions of power,” Fernandes added.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao stated that the eight MLAs had failed to uphold the oath they took before God.
“These eight MLAs defected to the BJP not for the sake of development, but for their own self-interest,” he alleged. “This defection is a murder of democracy. Both we and the people of Goa are feeling ashamed of what they have done for personal gain,” he added.
He alleged that the BJP operates as a ‘factory that manufactures defectors’. “Currently, we are witnessing massive environmental destruction, rampant corruption and the looting of Goa,” he continued.
“The reckless sale of Goa’s land is also evident,” said the Leader of Opposition.
Quepem MLA Altone D'Costa added that many voters felt deeply insulted by the defection of these eight MLAs.
“Now, voters must ensure that such defections never occur in Goa again, and teach a lesson to those responsible,” D’Costa appealed.
Several other Congress leaders, including Savio Coutinho, also addressed the gathering, echoing the sentiments of discontent and urging for electoral change.
--
Cong claims Lobo defected to the
BJP to hide his ODP illegalities
CALANGUTE: Elected on a Congress ticket, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo defected to the BJP to hide his ODP illegalities, Congress’ Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira claimed on Saturday at a protest meeting held by the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee at Calangute to mark the second anniversary of defection of eight Congress MLAs to the BJP.
“If Michael Lobo had contested as a BJP candidate, he would have not won. He won on a Congress ticket, and said he would never leave Congress. He then defected to the BJP, saying he has done it for the development of his constituency. But there is a High Court case in which the names of Michael Lobo and his wife are prominent for changing zones in ODP.
Their defection was to hide their wrongdoings and illegalities and to commit further illegalities in future,” Ferreira said.
Describing September 14 as a ‘Black Day’, GPCC president Amit Patkar said the people are fed up with the BJP government in Goa, which is only concerned with conversion of agricultural land into settlement.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said the long time being taken by the Speaker, Ramesh Tawadkar to decide on the disqualification petition of the eight MLAs shows the ‘dictatorial’ attitude of the BJP government. “The anti-defection law was brought to stop the evil of corruption. But the BJP has made a virtue of defections,” he said.
Congress block committee members from Calangute, Saligao and Siolim, who were present at the protest at the Dolphin Circle in Calangute, raised slogans against Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, Siolim MLA Delilah Lobo and Saligao MLA Kedar Naik for defecting from the Congress and joining the BJP.