Congress party removed Michael Lobo from the position of the leader of opposition in the Goa state legislative assembly hours after rumours of him leaving the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. All India Congress Committee’s Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao announced this on 10th July 2022 in the evening.
Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “Michael Lobo immediately removed from the position of Leader of Opposition of Goa. A new leader will be elected. Whatever action has to be taken by law against this kind of defection, anti-party work will follow. Let’s see how many people will stay/move. 5 of our MLAs are here, we’re in touch with some more MLAs &they’ll be along with us.”
A new leader will be elected. Whatever action has to be taken by law against this kind of defection, anti-party work will follow. Let’s see how many people will stay/move. 5 of our MLAs are here, we’re in touch with some more MLAs &they’ll be along with us: Congress Goa in-charge pic.twitter.com/3DWCJJC1DB
— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2022
Dinesh Gundu Rao further said, “Congress party will not be disheartened or weakened. We will take up this issue in a more aggressive manner. We will take it to the people this betrayal that is being engineered by 2 people for the sake of power & personal gain.”
Congress party will not be disheartened or weakened. We will take up this issue in a more aggressive manner. We will take it to the people this betrayal that is being engineered by 2 people for the sake of power & personal gain: Dinesh Gundu Rao, AICC Goa in-charge pic.twitter.com/N2rpRx40hH
— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2022
Earlier, Michael Lobo had denied the rumours of him and other Congress leaders joining the BJP. He said, “These are all rumours. There’s nothing as such. Assembly (session) is starting & one rumor has to be spread by somebody or the other. I’ve not been told, if I’m told I’ll tell you first.”
These are all rumours. There’s nothing as such. Assembly (session) is starting & one rumour has to be spread by somebody or the other. I’ve not been told, if I’m told I’ll tell you first: Goa Congress leader Michael Lobo on rumours that few Congress leaders are joining BJP(09.07) pic.twitter.com/2lmznmLLdd
— ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2022
In Goa’s 40-member house, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the BJP, has the support of 25 MLAs, while the Congress has 11 MLAs. Sources claimed that 7 to 10 Congress MLAs gathered at a hotel in Margao in the state of Goa and vowed to remain united amid concerns of another split in the Goa Congress. There are now 11 Congress-affiliated MLAs in the Goa legislature, and it has been reported that some of them may switch to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The suspicion was directed towards Michael Lobo who had switched sides from the BJP to the Congress just before the elections. He was rumoured to be in touch with BJP leaders.
