Congress MLA to join BJP in Goa

Panaji, Dec 14: In what could be a shot in the arm for the BJP, a Congress legislator is set to join the saffron party, which has sacked two ministers from an allied political party amid drama.

Speaking to IANS on Tuesday, Congress MLA from Dabolim constituency, Mauvin Godinho, said he would join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on December 16, after resigning from the Congress on the same day.

"On December 16 I will formally join the BJP. The Congress is destined for doom because of the manner in which the party treats senior leaders," Godinho said.

Although elected on a Congress ticket in 2012, Godinho has been backing the BJP and slamming the Congress for the last three years.

Incidentally, during Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's first stint as Goa Chief Minister and Home Minister, he had booked Godinho in connection with a multi-crore power scam which even resulted in his arrest.

Two years back, the Congress state leadership had resolved to distance itself from Godinho, accusing him of working against the party and refusing to heed to its diktats.

The Dabolim seat which Godinho represents, was one of the key points of disagreement between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, with both the parties claiming the seat for the upcoming state assembly elections.

Parsekar on Monday sacked two ministers from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) from his cabinet, accusing them of unfairly challenging his authority.

The dismissal of the ministers, Sudin Dhavalikar and his brother Deepak, followed constant criticism by the duo of Parsekar, calling him a weak and ineffective Chief Minister who had taken Goa 10 years behind the time in the terms of development.

However, according to Parrikar, the sacking of the ministers does not necessarily mean the alliance has ended.

He said on Tuesday that the BJP was willing to look into the proposals conveyed by the MGP leaders "through proper channels".