'I am with Congress': Goa MLA Lobo after facing disqualification

Panaji, July 12

Subsequent to disqualification filed against him, Congress MLA Michael Lobo has said that he is with the party.

He made remark during a meeting called by senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik on Monday night.

Wasnik reached Goa on Monday afternoon to oversee latest political developments in the coastal state, and held a series of meetings with MLAs and other senior leaders to tackle the situation.

In the evening, the party filed a disqualification petition with the Assembly Speaker against former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo for "anti-party" activities.

Though Kamat remained absent during the meeting (with Wasnik), Lobo reached the Congress office, and discussed the ongoing political situation. Except Kamat, all ten MLAs of the party were present in the meeting.

Congress Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao on Sunday had alleged that Lobo was trying to split the MLAs.

"I have made my stand very clear. I have told him that I am with the Congress party. I am elected with the Congress party... It is our term of five years. We have to be with the party," Lobo told reporters after the meeting.

"...I have told him (Wasnik) to discuss the issues individually. I am not trying to divide the Congress," he said.

Commenting over disqualification filed against him, Lobo asked whether remaining absent for a press conference could become a ground for disqualification.

Action against Lobo was initiated on Sunday night after he had not attended a press conference called by the party.

"We are all together. I have told Dinesh Gundu Rao and GPCC President Amit Patkar that whatever is happening since I got elected as MLA and CLP leader... the number of cases filed against me. I told them 'I won't be able to do justice with the post (CLP) and asked them to give the CLP post to any other MLA among us," he said.

"There is no ground for disqualification. It is for the Speaker to decide," he said, adding that 'doubt' were cleared from the minds of the Congress leaders.