MAPUSA
After facing charges of illegal land-filling and other irregularities in his hotel businesses while in the Congress and now sitting pretty in the saffron fold, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Sunday said that quitting BJP was a mistake which should have been avoided.
Lobo also said that Congress as a party will survive and that he has not committed anything wrong by quitting the grand old party.
“If you have an ill-difference with somebody you should not leave the party. We have to accept our mistakes. I have accepted mine. For the last 15 years I was in the BJP. If there are ups and downs you should not leave the party. We accepted our mistake and came back to the party,” Lobo said.
The former minister who quit the BJP to join the Congress one month before the assembly elections in the State ensured that his wife and a close aide got Congress party tickets in the polls, something which the BJP had denied him.
Lobo, his wife Delilah and close aide Kedar Naik got elected on Congress tickets and were part of the eight MLAs who defected to the BJP early this month.
Speaking further, the Calangute MLA said that he has nothing to worry about party workers as he has a very good equation with workers from every party denomination.
“The karyakartas know us very closely and are always with us. Karyakartas from all parties whether it is from BJP, Congress, RG or AAP are with us.
They know that we are always with the people,” he said.
“They look at me as someone who will go beyond the party lines. Even if someone is from another party we maintain the relations. While voting they vote for us. Even if the person is a Congress or NCP member he will vote for Michael Lobo,” he added.
Lobo said that he has not committed anything wrong while joining the BJP.
“We had taken an oath that we will not break from the party (Congress) when we are forming the government. If people have not given us the numbers…We strongly believe in God. We all do,” he said.
He said Congress has three MLAs and will continue to be the opposition in the State.
“Congress as a party will survive. Party never dies,” he said.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his vision to reach out to the last man in the row, Lobo said the BJP has been reaching out to every segment of the society.
“The vision of PM Modi is to take governance to the doorstep. That is why the Governor of Goa is moving in all the panchayats to listen to their grievances and he tells them to work for people,” he said.
