PANAJI
The cryptic comment of the CT Ravi, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Goa desk in-charge that their strength will go up to 30 soon has resurrected the spectre of defections in Goa's political realm and seemingly pushed the Opposition Congress on the defensive.
Reacting to the BJP leader's statement, Opposition Leader, Michael Lobo sought to put up a brave front saying all his party MLAs were united and intact.
He said, the party will keep its flock together and there is no possibility of any of his colleagues crossing over.
Lobo's comments notwithstanding, the dismal showing finishing a poor second with 11 seats in the recent assembly elections has left the principal Opposition party seemingly rudderless.
Lobo himself is under severe pressure with the Town and Country Planning Minister, Vishwajit Rane, launching a review of ODPs of planning areas in his Calangute constituency, exercises completed when he was a cabinet minister in the previous term.
Lobo and his MLA-wife Delilah have also been booked in an FIR for alleged illegal hill-cutting and tree felling in a property they own in Parra, which the Lobo's claim they are readying for farming.
Another top Congress leader Digambar Kamat has stayed aloof from politics, apparently peeved that the party overlooked his claim to be the CLP leader in favour of Lobo.
Kamat, who had been accommodated as 'permanent invitee' to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), refrained from attending the party's much touted 'Chintan Shivir' held at Udaipur in Rajasthan earlier this week and has been absent from most party events held in the State as well.
Another Congress legislator, Rajesh Phaldesai, has caused some bother for the party by hobnobbing with the saffron camp.
He had been reprimanded by the party leadership when he showed up at the BJP headquarters in Panaji on the latter's foundation day. A close relative of Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai, the Congress first-timer has since also attended events along with ministers in his constituency of Cumbharjua.
Ravi had stirred the hornet's nest on Saturday when he told the media that MLAs from the other side were in touch and ready to crossover but it had not yet happened because the BJP high command has not yet okayed the move.
