Jairam Ramesh slams BJP's 'dirty tricks' after 8 Goa Congress MLAs join saffron party

Amid Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, eight Congress MLAs in Goa, including former chief minister Digambar Kamat, on Wednesday (September 14) joined the ruling BJP.

This is a body blow to the Opposition party which is now left with just three MLAs in the 40-member state Assembly.

The eight MLAs joined the saffron party in the presence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade.

Also read: ‘Rumours’: Goa Congress refutes talks of party MLAs joining BJP

The eight Congress MLAs – Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes – were seen interacting with Sawant in a viral photo hours ahead of formally joining the BJP.

In a similar move in July 2019, 10 Congress MLAs had switched over to the BJP in Goa.

The BJP retained power in the coastal state after the state Assembly elections in March this year.

It has 20 MLAs in the Assembly, while the Congress strength will be depleted from 11 to three.

BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya took a dig at Rahul Gandhi and said he should focus on saving the party.

“Rahul Gandhi must focus on saving the Congress. 8 Goa MLAs deciding to dump the Congress at a time when Rahul Gandhi is on the road, shows how disconnected he is. There are several states where the Congress doesn’t have even a single MLA and marginal presence in several others,” Malviya tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi must focus on saving the Congress.

8 Goa MLAs deciding to dump the Congress at a time when Rahul Gandhi is on the road, shows how disconnected he is.

There are several states where the Congress doesn’t have even a single MLA and marginal presence in several others.

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 14, 2022

Senior Congress leader and party’s communications chief Jairam Ramesh slammed the BJP for its “dirty tricks” and “operation kichad”.

“Operation Kichad of BJP in Goa has been fast tracked because of the visible success of the #BharatJodoYatra. BJP is nervous. A daily dose of diversion & disinformation is handed out to undermine the Yatra. We remain undeterred. We will overcome these dirty tricks of the BJP,” he tweeted.

Operation Kichad of BJP in Goa has been fast tracked because of the visible success of the #BharatJodoYatra. BJP is nervous. A daily dose of diversion & disinformation is handed out to undermine the Yatra. We remain undeterred. We will overcome these dirty tricks of the BJP.

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 14, 2022

(With Agency inputs)