The three remaining MLAs of the Congress in Goa on Wednesday said they would stay with the party in the wake of the exit of eight fellow legislators who have crossed over to the ruling BJP.
The Opposition party termed the defection by eight out of its 11 MLAs in Goa only seven months after the Assembly elections as the “height of betrayal and shamelessness.”
The three MLAs who did not switch sides — Yuri Alemao, Altone DCosta and Carlose Alvares Ferreira — spoke at a press conference here in the presence of state Congress chief Amit Patkar.
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“The party is not dependent on MLAs. Congress will remain firm in the state even if the MLAs have left it,” Alemao said.
“We are giving our word that we will be with the party and will remain strong. We are not some commodity that can be purchased,” he added.
Stating that prior to the February elections, Congress candidates had taken oath not to defect, Alemao further said.
“I dont know how someone can defy God,” he said.
Ferreira, a former advocate general, said the same thing happened in 2019 when ten out of 15 Congress MLAs joined BJP. The Congress party has challenged it in court. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court, he said.
Altone DCosta said he was happy that he stood by the party on whose ticket he was elected. Patkar said the party had taken all the precautions against defections.