10 of 15 Cogress MLAs join BJP in Goa

Goa : Congress is facing difficult times in Karnataka with troubles in saving a coalition government; and to make things worse, 10 out of 15 MLAs have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday.

The Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Congress s Chandrakant Kavlekar, walked to the Speaker s office late evening with nine other party MLAs minutes after India lost to New Zealand to tender their resignation from the party.

With new additions, the total strength on ruling BJP in the Assembly has gone up to 27. The strength of the Congress which won 17 seats in 2017, stands reduced to five.

Sources in BJP said a Cabinet reshuffle may follow soon and indicated that most allies may be dropped.

Speaker Rajesh Patnekar also confirmed the resignations by the Congress leaders. "They came with the resignations and I accepted," he said.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who was present in the Assembly house to welcome the MLAs said, They had come for development of the state and their constituency. They have joined the BJP unconditionally.

The MLAs who joined are Chandrakant Kavlekar, Atanasio Monserrate, Jennifer Monserrate, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Nilkanth Halarnkar, Francisco Silveira, Clafasio Dias, Isidore Fernandes, Wilfred D Sa, Tony Fernandes.