Lawmakers have toppled governments by escaping from washroom: BJP leader

Justifying his swift shift earlier this week from Congress to BJP, MLA Dayanand Sopte on Friday said that state legislators are known to switch parties and topple governments by "slipping out of washrooms at the slightest notice."

Sopte, who along with another Congress MLA Subhash Shirodkar, quit as Congress MLAs on Tuesday and joined the BJP, said under Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's leadership, as an opposition MLA, his constituents had been given 103 government jobs.

At a press conference at the state BJP headquarters in Panaji, Sopte said, "There are many stories in politics about government formation: in the afternoon, some (MLAs) have lunch together. Then an MLA enters the washroom, and quickly leaves to join a party and form government. Like that, there are many stories in Goa politics," Sopte said.

Earlier this week, hours before he formally joined BJP, he had left for Delhi for a meeting with BJP national president Amit Shah. When asked by reporters whether he was quitting Congress, he had said that he was heading to Delhi on a "business trip".

Before that he along with Shirodkar had attended a meeting over lunch with 14 other Congress MLAs, who are a part of the party's legislative unit.

On Friday, Sopte said even when he was an opposition MLA, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had ensured development of his Mandrem assembly constituency, which included giving 103 jobs for his constituents.

"Despite being in the opposition I got so many works sanctioned. Now that I am a part of the ruling party, my expectations are even higher," Sopte said.

--IANS

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