MLAs being offered 40 Crore, IF…:Goa Congress leader makes BIG claim amid mutiny buzz

Former Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar made an explosive claim that party MLAs have been offered Rs 40 crore to join the BJP.

New Delhi: Amid reports of mutiny in Goa Congress, former state Congress chief Girish Chodankar has alleged that party MLAs were offered a huge amount to join the BJP. According to reports in India Today, the former state chief has claimed that MLAs are being offered Rs 40 crore to join the BJP. Chodankar alleged that BJP through “some mine owners and coal mafia” were pressuring Congress MLAs to make the switch to BJP.

The explosive claims came amid a strong buzz of mutiny in the party, with at least six MLAs, led by former Goa CM Digambar Kamat, likely to join the saffron camp. The development came to light after some of the MLAs, who were contacted, informed Congress's Goa in-charge, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Chodankar further claimed.

Following this, Congress on Sunday sacked Michael Lobo as the Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly for conspiring to engineer defection in the party. 

AICC observer Dinesh Gundu Rao in a press conference said that a "conspiracy" was hatched by some of its leaders along with the BJP to weaken it. "A conspiracy was hatched by some of our own leaders with the BJP to see that the Congress party in Goa is weakened and to engineer defections. This conspiracy was led by 2 of our own leaders LoP Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat," Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

"Both these people had been working in total coordination with BJP. One person - Digambar Kamat - did it to safeguard his own skin because so many cases are against him and the other person - Michael Lobo - for the sake of power and position. BJP wants to finish the Opposition," he added.

Additionally, Rao said the BJP was trying for a two/third split, to see that a minimum of eight of the Congress MLAs leave the party. “Many of our people have been offered huge amounts of money. I'm shocked at the amount offered. But our six MLAs stood firm, I'm proud of them,” he said.