The Congress party on Sunday removed party leader Michael Lobo from post of Leader of Opposition in Goa Assembly on charges of conspiring against the party with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Congress Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao on Sunday said that Lobo and former Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat were hatching conspiracy against party with BJP to cause defections and to split the party.
Rao also said that apart from Lobo and Kamat, three other party MLAs have gone "incommunicado". The three others are Kedar Naik, Rajesh Faldesai and Delialah Lobo.
"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," said Rao as per ANI.
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Rao was speaking at a press conference with five MLAs with him. He said the party has the support of the sixth one two. The other five named above have, however, gone incommunicado.
This development comes amid reports of unrest in Congress Goa unit, with some saying that up to 10 out of 11 Congress MLAs have considered defecting to BJP.
Earlier on Sunday, ANI quoted Lobo as saying that reports of Congress MLAs about to join BJP were rumours.
ANI quoted him as saying, "These are all rumours. There's nothing as such. Assembly [session] is starting and 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."
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(With PTI inputs)
