More MLAs of Cong willing to cross over, claims Goa BJP chief

A day after two MLAs of the Congress in Goa resigned and joined the BJP, a senior saffron leader Wednesday claimed that more legislators from the opposition party are waiting for cross over.

BJP Goa unit president Vinay Tendulkar said more legislators from Congress may join either the saffron party or the regional parties that are part of the Manohar Parrikar-led coalition government.

Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, who represent Shiroda and Mandrem assembly constituencies, respectively, resigned as members of the Legislative Assembly and also as primary members of the party Tuesday.

The resignations eroded the Congress' status as the single largest party in Goa, as the count of its MLAs came down to 14 from previous 16.

"There are more leaders from Congress who want to join us....They can join BJP if they find our ideology acceptable or they can go to the Goa Forward Party or the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (both alliance partners)," Tendulkar told reporters here.

He refused to disclose names of the MLAs who he has claimed to be willing to shift their loyalties.

"The induction of Sopte and Shirodkar in the BJP is a part of the 'Congress-mukt Bharat'," he said.

Senior Congress leaders had Tuesday said no further split is possible in their party and that remaining flock of 14 MLAs would remain intact.

In the 40-member Goa Assembly, the BJP-led government has the support of 23 MLAs. These comprise 14 BJP MLAs, three each from the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party as well as three Independents.

With the Congress losing two MLAs, its numbers in the House, which has the effective strength of 38 now, is reduced to 14.