Ex-BJP MLA Carlose Almeida joins Congress in Goa

Former BJP MLA in Goa Carlose Almeida on Wednesday joined the Congress in Panaji, a day after resigning from the ruling party and the legislative Assembly, a switch over coming just a few months before polls.

Almeida joined the opposition party in presence of All India Congress Committee in-charge of Goa Dinesh Gundu Rao, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar and Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, among others.

Chodankar said Almeida's entry will strengthen the Congress, which has been seeing desertions by its own MLAs, in Mormugao taluka.

Almeida, who was elected to the Assembly from Vasco, became the second sitting BJP legislator to quit after Alina Saldanha.

“Goan people will never bring the BJP back to power in Goa. Under the BJP government, the state's law and order situation has worsened,” the GPCC president claimed.

Chodankar said ''wrong'' policies of the BJP government were responsible for rising inflation and various scandals.

Kamat said Almeida has taken the right decision by joining the Congress although the former MLA had been approached by several other parties.

Polls to the 40-member Goa Assembly are due in early 2022.