Panaji: Congress leaders on Thursday said that their leader was lured by BJP with an offer of Rs 40-50 crore and also fear of the central agencies.
All India Congress Committee Goa Desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao told a press conference that money to the tune of Rs 40-50 crore were paid to the MLAs to switch over or they were having fear of the central agencies.
“The national party (BJP) is doing such thing everywhere. Where is the such amount of money coming from. They are misusing the power. They are breaking the elected representatives,” Rao said.
He said that the BJP is coming with thousands of crores of rupees and also targeting the opposition MLAs with the agencies like CBI and ED. “Has one ED notice gone to BJP MLA? This is a politics that we are fighting against. If we don’t fight then the country will be destroyed,” he said.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Amit Patkar said that one of the MLA was approached with Rs 30 crore cash. He was not ready and to convince him within two hours, another Rs ten crore was given to him, Patkar said.
“Even after that he was not ready so finally with Rs five crore more cash, he agreed,” the GPCC chief said without naming the MLA.
During the press conference, Rao termed Michael Lobo, the Leader of Opposition who switched sides as ‘rat’.
“We thought he was a Lion but he turned out to be a Rat. There is no leadership quality in him,” Rao said. He said that several people were consulted before giving ticket to Lobo, who had given positive feedback.
“We thought that he will remain in the congress. We gave him ticket and supported him,” he said adding that at that point of time, it was a correct decision.
“We felt that his coming in was good for us. We had wide consultation with other people. It was mistake for us to take such a kind of person. We thought he was a lion , he turned out to be a rat,” he said.
