Amid the predictions of a hung Assembly in Goa by the pollsters, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Ivan D'Souza on Wednesday came down heavily on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging "horse-trading" by the party and said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other leaders landed in Goa ahead of counting for the state Assembly polls.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "We will not allow any horse-trading habit of BJP...Last time though we are the single largest in the state, we have got 17 members, BJP got 13 members. They have horse traded our members."
Leveling allegations of giving out money to switch sides, he said, "They (BJP) are buying the members."
"Amit Shah is already landed in Goa and other leaders also landed in Goa. Why have they landed in Goa? Just to buy the other party members. So precaution has to be taken by our party. That's our duty. We have learned from our previous experiences of whatever the BJP did," D'Souza said.
Exuding confidence in the Congress' win in the Goa Assembly elections, he said, "We are coming back to power in Goa. I worked as an observer there. We will come back in Goa. We will form the government in Goa. Tomorrow we will get the majority."
The Congress has moved its 2022 Assembly poll candidates to a resort to avoid poaching bids by rival parties.
"We have not forced any candidate to stay over (at the resort). They voluntarily decided to stay together," said Sunil Kauthankar, general secretary, Congress, Goa.
The party has brought in its senior leadership, including DK Shivakumar from Karnataka, with the candidates in Bambolim Beach Resort of Goa.
Assembly elections in Goa were held on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor