PANAJI
Two-term Calangute MLA Michael Lobo expectedly resigned from the cabinet and also his membership of the Goa legislative assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday but his expected entry into the Opposition Congress in the evening has got deferred for unexplained reasons.
Hours after Lobo’s resignation, another ruling party MLA, Pravin Zantye, also resigned from the membership of the House and the party’s primary membership.
After quitting, Lobo, who had for the last two months or so been consistently making sharp dissenting statements against both the government and the ruling party from within, said the ordinary workers were feeling sidelined.
“It has been a good, long journey with the BJP but workers are unhappy with the party. Maybe I am wrong. I have seen with my own eyes, heard it with my own ears,” he said emerging out of the Assembly complex where he submitted his resignation to the legislature secretary.
Meanwhile, Lobo’s expected entry into the Congress which sources said was to be held at 4 pm got deferred for unexplained reasons.
Although for the record Lobo had claimed that he had “not yet” decided which party he will be joining, clear indications were set out that he will be embracing the Congress.
On Sunday, Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat had admitted on record that the BJP minister was in touch with the Congress’ leadership.
Lobo’s expected entry into the party meanwhile evoked sharp reactions from the Congress Calangute Block Committee whose president Benedict D’Souza said none of the partymen from the constituency had been taken into confidence on the issue.
Meanwhile, Zantye claimed he quit because the BJP was not the same as the one he had joined when it was led by the late Manohar Parrikar.
The former Mayem legislator said he will be joining the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) in the next few days and is expected to recontest his seat on that party’s ticket.
In an official statement the BJP said whoever had resigned from the party had done so with “vested interests” and censured some of them who used “as an alibi” the party’s purported shunning of the legacy of the Late Manohar Parrikar.
“Misleading statements that BJP has compromised on Shri Parrikar’s legacy is nothing but a coverup of their own deeds. Those who have switched over from BJP, just ahead of elections, for their vested interest should not use Shri Parrikar as an excuse to gain sympathy from the people,” BJP’s State spokesperson Hemant Golatkar said.
Apart from Lobo and Zantye, the BJP has also lost two other legislators -- ex-Cortalim MLA, Alina Saldanha and Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida.
While Saldanha has since joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has nominated her to fight the February 14 election from the Cortalim seat on its ticket, Almeida has joined the Opposition Congress party.
