BJP likely to accommodate rebel Goa Congress MLAs in cabinet, Chandrakant Kavlekar likely to be made Deputy CM: Sources

After quitting from Congress, the ten MLAs are back in Goa, and as per sources will sworn-in by 3.00 pm on Saturday. Chandrakant Kavlekar is likely to be made the Deputy CM, sources said. As per sources, the BJP will drop four ministers from the cabinet which will include an MLA from the Goa Forward Party and an Independent MLA from the cabinet.

The ten Goa MLAs who resigned on Thursday from Goa Congress Legislative Party (CLP) had officially joined BJP in the presence of working president JP Nadda in New Delhi on Thursday. The event happened amid protests from Congress leaders outside Parliament over the political crisis unfolding in the state. On Friday, Goa CM Pramod Sawant had met BJP president Amit Shah and discussed about the Goa cabinet's reshuffle. After the merger of Congress MLAs with BJP, CM Sawant told Shah that he was unhappy with the functioning of certain ministers as they were taking people for granted, sources added. He said, as per sources, that the MLAs were acting as if they were the government.

Meanwhile, A Chellakumar, All India Congress Committee secretary and the opposition party’s Goa in-charge, who was sent to the coastal state to take stock of the situation the ten MLAs jumped ship to BJP alleged that the MLAs were poached by the BJP. "Some of the MLAs who have left, they called me and told, 'BJP has approached me, so and so person came to my house, gave this much offer and ministerial berth.' The poaching of MLAs, they started the process right after forming the government."

READ | Jyotiraditya Scindia Resorts To Dinner Diplomacy In Madhya Pradesh Amid Political Crisis In Karnataka And Goa

The Congress Central leadership is taking legal opinion and very soon the state Congress will appeal against quitting of the 10 MLAs

Rebel Congress MLA who joined the BJP Francisco Silviera spoke to Republic saying that the MLAs formed a group and joined the BJP as there was a crisis in Goa. "We went to the BJP only for development. We had made a group of ten and decided to go to the BJP. The news of allegation by Chellakumar is fake. It is true. Let the Congress appeal in the court. There was a crisis in Goa Congress hence we went to BJP. Our party leaders had failed to form the government last time. In 2017, we had 17 members but we didn't form government our party leaders had failed." 

Rebel Congress MLA Michael Lobo also called Chellakumar's allegation baseless.

READ | Jyotiraditya Scindia Resorts To Dinner Diplomacy In Madhya Pradesh Amid Political Crisis In Karnataka And Goa