Goa Congress rejects BJP's claim about its MLAs

The Congress in Goa Thursday rubbished the BJP's claim that 10 of its MLAs were keen to join the ruling party, but were denied entry into the saffron fold.

Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar had Wednesday claimed that 10 Congress MLAs had expressed their willingness in the last fortnight to join the saffron party.

The BJP, however, refused to accept them into the party fold as it had comfortable majority in the Assembly, Tendulkar had said.

Talking to reporters here, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar hit out at Tendulkar for his "false" claim and dubbed him a "habitual liar".

"All our 15 MLAs are together. After I read about Tendulkars statement I spoke to all ourMLAs who have denied attempting anything like that (switch over).

"Tendulkar is a habitual lier who is trying to sell his lies to the public, Chodankar said.

"I request the BJP and its leader Tendulkar to stop this false propaganda. For the last five years, the BJP has been trying to make India Congress-mukt, but the people of this country are not letting that happen, he said.

So BJP central leaders are frustrated and they have adopted this policy to split opposition MLAs, Chodankar added.

The BJP cannot rule the state without propagating "lies" and it is relying on horse-trading to continue in the government, the Congress leader alleged.

The 40-member Goa Assembly has 17 MLAs of the BJP followed by 15 of the Congress.

Besides, the House has three Goa Forward Party (GFP) MLAs, three Independents and one each from the NCP and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

All GFP and Independent MLAs are supporting the BJP- led government.