BENGALURU: Amid the ongoing crisis in the Goa unit, Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday alleged that the BJP is offering Rs 50 crore to each MLA.
The remarks of the Congress leader came a day after rumours of a split in Goa Congress surfaced. The Congress removed party MLA Michael Lobo as the Leader of the Opposition in the Goa Assembly alleging that he, along with Digambar Kamat, hatched a conspiracy to engineer defections in “total coordination” with the BJP.
“By offering Rs 50 crore to each MLA, they (BJP) are showing that they do not believe in democracy. Not only in Goa, everywhere they do ‘Operation Kamala’. They will offer money and purchase MLAs,” said Siddaramaiah.
Congress leader M B Patil too said that trading of MLAs has “spoiled the system” of the country. “CT Ravi’s statement is undemocratic…Buying MLAs for Rs 40 crore. This has spoiled the system of our country, we’re ashamed that such things happen in our country,” Patil said.
When asked if MLAs from Karnataka Congress will also join the BJP, the MLA said that the leaders from BJP and JD(S) will join the Congress party. “No chance at all. In fact, BJP and JD(S) people will join Congress,” he said.
Following the allegations of hatching a defection conspiracy in the Goa unit of the Congress party, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Monday said that he is “shocked and stunned” and the words of party’s state in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao have “deeply hurt” him.
Kamat also asked the Congress leaders to look at his performance in the party and said that he has led the party from the front.
The remarks of the Congress leader came a day after Rao alleged that Kamat, along with Michael Lobo, was “conspiring” against their own party leaders in tandem with the BJP.
“I saw a video of the presser of Dinesh Gundu Rao (Congress Goa in-charge) which is being circulated. I am shocked and stunned; it has hurt me beyond words. Dinesh was at my place on Saturday night, I told him my position then,” Kamat said while speaking to reporters here.
“Because of your humiliation towards me after the elections, my workers are angry, I’m also deeply hurt. So, for the time being, I said, I am not going to accept any responsibility. Once I’m fit, we’ll see. Rumours about me joining BJP have been spreading since 2017,” he added.
Stating that he would have gone “if he wanted to go”, Kamat said that he went all out for Congress, yet the party changed him from the position of the leader of the Opposition.
“If I wanted to go, I’d have gone. No one can stop me. But still, I led the party from the front, I went all out. And suddenly, they changed me from LoP when the results came in. I don’t know why he made such a statement. I’m in Congress, you can see my performance,” Kamat said.
Notably, Congress on Sunday also sacked Michael Lobo as the Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly for alleged conspiracy to engineer defections. The Congress said that the BJP was trying for a 2/3rd split and offered huge amounts of money to party legislators. (ANI)