goa congress news Photo Credit: PTI After Karnataka, Congress faces yet another political crisis in Goa

Key Highlights 10 of 15 Congress MLAs split from the party in Goa to merge with the BJP

The 10 MLAs include the leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar

With this, BJP attains majority in the 40-seat Goa Assembly

Panaji: Even as political instability has affected the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka, the Congress faced yet another jolt in Goa on Wednesday as 10 of its 15 MLAs split from the party to merge with the ruling BJP.

Congress MLA Isidore Fernandes confirmed the news to reporters on Wednesday. He said, "10 Congress MLAs are splitting from the Congress and joining the BJP tonight."

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Sources told a news agency that the 10 rebel MLAs include the leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly Chandrakant Kavlekar, MLAs Isidore Fernandes, Jennifer Monserrate, Atanasio Monserrate and Francis Silveira.

As per reports, the group, led by Kavlekar, met Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar in the evening today. The group of 10 MLAs submitted a letter with the Speaker, apprising him of their decision to break away from the party.

Goa Chief Minister and BJP leader Pramod Sawant, along with Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo, was present when the group of Congress MLAs arrived at the Assembly complex around 7:30 pm.

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As the 10 MLAs have decided to switch sides, the strength of the Congress party in the 40-member Goa Assembly will reduce to five seats. As two-thirds of the MLAs of the party have switched, they would not need to quit the Assembly.

Presently, the BJP is the single largest party in the state with 17 legislators. The Goa Forward Party has three MLAs, while the NCP and MGP have one MLA each. Three Independents also comprise the Goa Assembly.

With the 10 Congress MLAs joining the party, the BJP will now achieve a comfortable majority of 27 seats in the Goa Assembly. Reports suggested that thanks to the increased strength, the BJP was now in power to dump its allies from the coalition government.

Speculations were rife that Sawant may oust Goa Forward Party ministers from the coalition government, including Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sardesai.

Kavlekar did not reveal to the reports the reason behind their surprising decision to merge with the ruling party, however, he said that he would be making a statement later.

Meanwhile, the Congress has been facing a political turmoil in Karnataka as well. The Congress-JD(S) government was in shaky grounds in the southern state as its 16 lawmakers - 13 Congress MLAs and three JD(S) MLAs – tendered their resignations to the Speaker.

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The rebel MLAs were lodged in a Mumbai hotel since the last few days, with senior Congress leader DK Shivkumar making a vain attempt to meet the rebel leaders in a bid to persuade them to return to Karnataka.

