Congress says not interested in joining any coalition in Goa

Hours after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut floated the idea of a coalition of opposition parties in Goa, the state Congress ruled out joining any front to topple the BJP government in the state. Congress's Goa unit president Girish Chodankar said his party will prefer to be in opposition rather than trying to poach ruling party MLAs to pull down the government.

"I would be happy to see the BJP government fall down in Goa. But there is no such possibility as BJP has support of 30 MLAs (in 40-member Assembly). I would rather prefer to sit in opposition than toppling government," Chodankar said.

A day after a Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government took over in Maharashtra, Raut on Friday said an anti-BJP coalition would be formed in neighbouring Goa. Raut spoke to leaders of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party, both of which are, like the Shiv Sena, former BJP allies. While GFP leader Vijai Sardesai met Raut in Mumbai and supported the Sena's proposal, MGP's Sudin Dhavalikar also said that such a coalition was possible.