Panaji: BJP in Goa on Wednesday claimed that a group of ten Congress MLAs from the State legislative assembly had offered to join BJP during last fortnight, but the party refused to accept them.
BJP Goa unit president Vinay Tendulkar told reporters that a group of ten MLAs from Congress had expressed their willingness to join BJP during last fortnight.
“But we strictly refused them the entry as we have enough numbers on the floor of the House and we will complete this tenure along with our alliance partners,” he said.
The current tenure of Pramod Sawant led government is culminating in the year 2022.
Tendulkar’s statement comes days after Congress Goa Chief Girish Chodankar had alleged that BJP was offering crores of rupees to their MLAs to join the party.
Chodankar had said that his party could not match the offers given by BJP and it was becoming difficult to ensure that the flock is together.
Tendulkar rubbished the allegations of Chodankar during a press conference on Wednesday stating that his party is not offering any money to anyone.
“Even in the past when two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte joined BJP, there was not a single penny paid to them,” he said.
Shirodkar and Sopte had joined BJP in October last year after they faced by-election in their respective Shiroda and Mandrem assembly constituency and got elected.
Tendulkar said “many people want to join BJP impressed with the work and ideology of the party.”
He stated that it is for Chodankar to control his MLAs from making plans to quit the party. “BJP is not interested in breaking any party. We are going to continue with the government with current strength of 23,” he said.
The 40-member Goa Legislative Assembly has 17 of BJP followed by 15 of Congress. Three each are from Goa Forward Party and Independents while one is from NCP and MGP.
