MARGAO
Congress MLAs who came to the Hotel Majestic, Margao on Sunday morning told the media that they are not going anywhere and are very much part of the Congress.
Congress heavyweight Aleixo Sequeira told the media that he had just come to Hotel Majestic, even saying that no MLA would disclose that they would leave the party and join a new party before actually taking the decision. “I have come here to pay a courtesy visit. No one has called me here and there’s no meeting at all,” Aleixo said, adding that the question of asking any MLAs why they are planning to quit will arise only after they leave the party.
Opposition leader, Michael Lobo told the media that he has come to Margao after being called by Goa desk observer Dinesh Gundu Rao, even as he tried to downplay reports that eight members of the party are leaving the Congress.
Deputy leader Sankalp Amonkar said he was relaxing on a Sunday, but had to come down to Margao after being called for a meeting by Dinesh Gundu Rao. He said the question of moving out of the Congress does not arise when the MLAs have taken a pledge before the Gods and Goddesses and filed an affidavit they will not quit the party.
To a question, he pointed out that rumours have been doing the rounds of a split in the Congress party from day one, adding that this is the tactic employed by the BJP to create confusion in the minds of the party.
Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira the question of leaving the Congress will come only when someone approaches you and makes an offer to leave the party. “Until that conversation takes place, I cannot answer the question of the media whether I will quit the party. I myself can’t understand why the BJP is trying to increase its numbers when the ruling party has 20 MLAs in the house,” he said.
Asked whether any of the party MLAs are quitting the Congress to join the BJP, Carlos said, “I can give a guarantee for myself. I cannot make a statement on behalf of others,” he added.
