Panaji: At the backdrop of rebellion within the opposition fold, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant has claimed that there was a cross-voting by three MLAs in favour of NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu during the President of India election.
Sawant told mediapersons on Thursday night that BJP and its allies has support of 25 MLAs but Murmu polled 28 votes from Goa.
“It is natural that three votes have come from the opposition. I don’t know which MLAs supported Murmu but I am thankful to them for their support,” Sawant commented.
Reacting to the result of President of India’s election, the chief minister said that he is proud that Droupadi Murmu got elected for the post.
“I am proud that a tribal sister has reached the highest post in the country. All voters have supported her and she has won by over 65 per cent of votes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the blame game has begun in the opposition fold over the cross voting. Congress MLA Carlose Alvares Ferreira told reporters that one cannot presume that the cross voting was from the side of his party.
“The cross voting could be from any other opposition party. Congress is united force,” he said.
Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai, who is in the opposition, expressed surprise over the statement of Ferreira. “The statement that Congress is united is a news for me,” he said adding that everyone knows what is happening in Congress and who must have cross-voted.
The Congress legislature party in Goa is currently affected with the internal differences. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar has already filed disqualification petition against two of his own party MLAs – Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo – for hobnobbing with the BJP.
