india

Updated: Jul 11, 2019 08:32 IST

The Congress in Goa has accused the BJP of being insecure and misusing power and its state unit president Girish Chodankar said that “only God can save this country” after ten MLAs merged with the ruling party on Wednesday evening.

A group of ten Congress MLAs, including the leader of opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, announced a breakaway from the Congress party and formed a separate splinter group which they have merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Three of the ten MLAs are expected to be inducted in the cabinet at the expense of current ministers from the alliance partners of the BJP.

“People are watching this naked game of destruction of democracy and they will certainly teach a lesson to those involved in this utter shameful act of murdering democracy. They are not attempting to have one Nation, One Election, but One Nation, One Party. God save this country,” Chodankar said in a statement to the media.

“The BJP has exposed its intense insecurity with its coalition partner and within its camp by inducting ten Congress MLAs in their camp. Despite having clear numbers on the floor of the House, BJP chief minister Pramod Sawant indulging into such unethical has displayed his fear to face the united opposition for the upcoming assembly session (sic),” Chodankar said.

The Congress leader also took a dig at the Goa Forward Party, which had made an about-turn soon after the election result was announced in February 2017 and decided to support the BJP despite campaigning against it in the run-up to the elections.

“This is also a lesson to its alliance partners who went against the mandate of people in 2017 and installed the BJP in power. This was the day in waiting as they disrespected the common people,” Chodankar said.

The BJP’s strength in the House is 27 now, including the newly-merged group of ten MLAs, and is no longer reliant on the allies of the Goa Forward Party. The Goa Forward Party has two legislators and there are two Independents, who are expected to be dropped from the state cabinet soon.