Margao: Even as rumours claimed that two MLAs from Goa Forward Party were all set to join BJP, party chief Vijai Sardesai claimed it as a diversionary tactic to hide failure to control COVID-19 by state government.
The rumours were making rounds on Monday that two GFP MLAs – Jayesh Salgaonkar and Vinod Palyekar – were all set to leave the party.
GFP led by Sardesai has three MLAs including himself, who were removed from the state cabinet in July last year by Chief minister Pramod Sawant.
Salgaonkar on Monday had rubbished the rumours. In a tweet, he said “I rubbish rumours floating around about me joining BJP by quitting @Goaforwardparty. I am not going anywhere leaving the party.”
On Monday night, Sardesai took on to twitter claiming that the rumours were “diversionary tactic to hide the #GoaFightsCOVID19 failures.”
Sardesai tweeted “With 2 #COVID19 deaths in less than 24 hours, the @GoaGovt has to have a diversionary tactic to hide the #GoaFightsCOVID19 failures! And time and again we in #Goa have seen that for @BJP4Goa, its political health certainly matters more than public health!”
When contacted, BJP Goa unit Chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade said “at least, I have not come across any discussions on inducting two MLAs from GFP.”
When asked whether he rules out inducting them, Tanavade said “in politics, we cannot comment on anything in advance”
“What I can say is that right now, there is no such matter in front of me,” he said.
BJP which had won on 13 seats in Goa Legislative Assembly’s 2017 election had formed the government under leadership of Manohar Parrikar by pulling support from GFP, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party and independents.
Since then, BJP has inducted eleven Congress legislators and two MGP legislators into the party fold on different occasions.
