Ahead of the Assembly elections in Goa, two-time Goa Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Carlos Almeida along with hundreds of his supporters has joined Congress and expressed confidence that Congress will overthrow the anti-democratic rule of the BJP in the upcoming polls.
Almeida joined Congress on Wednesday in the presence of Congress Goa Incharge Dinesh Gundu Rao, State Congress President Girish Chodankar and Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat.
Welcoming the former BJP MLA into the Congress fold, state president Girish Chodankar said that his entry into the party will strengthen the Congress in Mormugao Taluka and claimed that the people of Goa will never bring the BJP back to power in the state.
"The entry of Almeida has strengthened the Congress in Mormugao Taluka. Goan people will never bring the BJP back to power in the state. The present BJP government has disrupted the law and order in the State," he said.
Chodankar further alleged that the wrong policies of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led BJP government in the state are responsible for the inflation, sex scandals and corruption in all sectors.
"The wrong policies of this government are responsible for inflation, sex scandals, job scams and corruption in all sectors. The BJP always tries to polarise votes by creating religious rifts and quarrels among castes. The wise Goan people will thwart this instinct of the BJP this time," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Leader of the Opposition and former CM of Goa Digambar Kamat said, "Carlos Almeida had a lot of options in the changing political scenarios in Goa but he made a good decision after listening to everyone. His decision to join Congress is right and we are proud of this decision."
Congress candidate from Mormugao Assembly seat Sankalp Amonkar said that the people of Goa will neither vote for the Trinamool Congress nor for the BJP.
"A party which is limited to Bengal State is trying to buy candidates on the basis of money power. The party, which is confined to one state, is buying politicians on the strength of money. The people of Goa are simple but wise. They will neither vote for TMC nor for a scam party like BJP," he said.
Dinesh Gundu Rao, Digambar Kamat and Girish Chodankar expressed confidence that the entry of Almeida would strengthen the Congress Party in Mormugao taluka and the party would win all the four assembly constituencies - Mormugao, Vasco, Dabolim and Curtorim.
Hundreds of his supporters were present at the Congress Bhavan when Carlos Almeida joined the party and they expressed confidence that the Congress candidate would win in Vasco Constituency.
Earlier on Tuesday, Almeida resigned as an MLA of the Goa Assembly, alleging that after former chief minister Manohar Parrikar's death, the party was not going in the right direction.
"I am sad that I have to leave BJP. The party is going one-sided. After Parrikar's death, the party was not going in the right direction," he toldon phone.
Goa Assembly Polls are scheduled to be held in 2022.
Goa Assembly has a strength of 40 members out of which BJP currently has 17 legislators and enjoys the support of legislators from Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Vijay Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party (GFP), and three independents. GFP and MGP each have three MLAs. Congress, on the other hand, has 15 MLAs in the house.
( With inputs from ANI )
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