PANAJI
Elected legislators are being traded like sheep and goats in Goa, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivkumar said on Friday, while calling for a complete overhaul of the regime in the coastal state.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Shivkumar also said that 10 out of the 13 defecting MLAs had approached the Congress for a return to the opposition party, adding that the Congress had stuck to the policy of keeping defectors at bay and fielding young, loyal candidates instead.
"You see the BJP is using money power, spending 30-40 crore (rupees). Even on the floor of the house, some MLAs admitted that they were offered 30 crore (rupees) and some advance has been given to them. MLAs have been bought like sheep and goats. Where is democracy? The democracy has completely failed," Shivkumar said.
The senior Congress leader also cited the late-night coup in Maharashtra, in which the BJP tried to take power in 2019.
"See what happened in Maharashtra, morning at 5-6 o'clock, the oath has been taken. Without having a cabinet meeting, decisions have been taken. An oath was taken and it lasted for a day. Is this administration? Who prevented them? They could have called a cabinet meeting and taken a decision, whatever decision they wanted," he said.
Shivkumar also said that legislators from Goa who crossed over to the BJP had wanted to come back to the parent party's fold.
"BJP did 'Operation Lotus' (in Goa). We decided that not a single defector will be taken back. Out of the 13, nearly 10 members wanted to come back to us. They met me personally. A few of them met me in Delhi also. We didn't agree," Shivkumar said.
"Now, we have selected youngsters, new faces. All of them have pledged that they will not shift their loyalty," he said.
Shivkumar also said that the people of Goa had already experienced a "double engine" government, adding that the ruling dispensation had failed the State.
"I believe in Goan voters. Now they have learnt. They have knowledge of national politics that is going on. They have tasted power over the last five years. They have decided that this is the most corrupt government, which they have seen, and here is a Congress party with a big history, and we will not look at other issues. We will give a successful strong government which Goans want," he said.
