MARGAO/MAPUSA
The five Congress MLAs returned home on Sunday, but there seemed no stop to woo the first-time MLAs to the ruling party.
Sources in the know informed that a fresh bid was made to woo at least two members of the five-member group of MLAs to switch sides along with the six other Congress MLAs.
Reports did the rounds that a Cabinet berth was offered to one MLA and a Chairmanship of the Mopa development corporation was offered to another MLA.
That's not all. Sources said the reported promises made to a group of the first-time MLAs to stay put in Congress and not succumb to any pressure, did not materialize, fueling further speculations in political circles.
Meanwhile, the five Congress MLAs who were supposedly shifted to Chennai are in Goa and will attend the assembly session and vote in the Presidential election on Monday.
Sources said the five Congress MLAs have headed to their respective residences after landing at the Dabolim airport.
The five legislators -- Carlos Ferreira, Sankalp Amonkar, Rudolf Fernandes, Altone D’Costa and Yuri Alemao “ were moved to a secret location after the end of the assembly session on Friday evening.
The other six MLAs of the party -- Michael Lobo, his wife Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Faldesai, Digambar Kamat and Aleixo Sequeira -- were not among the select group of five.
According to senior Congressmen, the ruling BJP was prying on the Congress MLAs with lucrative offers in an attempt to force a two-third split in the party.
On the eve of the ongoing monsoon session, the Congress party barely survived an internal mutiny in its legislative wing.
Central Congress leaders rushed to Goa and managed to wade off the challenge, albeit temporarily.
The presidential poll will be keenly watched for cross-voting if any.
