Goa: Will abstain from voting for Dy Speaker's post as no idea about Oppn candidate, say AAP MLAs

The two MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party AAP in Goa on Friday said they would abstain from voting for the election to the post of Assembly Deputy Speaker to be held later in the day, saying that they have no idea whom the Opposition has fielded as its candidate.While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party BJP has fielded Joshua De Souza, from the opposition side, Congresss woman MLA Delialah Lobo is in the fray.

The two MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa on Friday said they would abstain from voting for the election to the post of Assembly Deputy Speaker to be held later in the day, saying that they have no idea whom the Opposition has fielded as its candidate.

While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Joshua De Souza, from the opposition side, Congress's woman MLA Delialah Lobo is in the fray. Talking to reporters, AAP MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva said they have no idea who is fighting the election from the opposition side.

''No one has contacted us seeking our support. We don't know who is contesting the election from opposition camp,'' Viegas said. When contacted, Lobo said that she will now consult all the members and try to convince them to vote for her.

''I will consult with them now,” she said when asked about the AAP's decision to abstain from voting. In the 40-member Goa Assembly, the ruling BJP has 20 MLAs, and it enjoys the support of five others - two from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three Independents. The Congress had won 11 seats in the assembly polls held in February this year. The Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) had won one seat each, while the AAP had bagged two seats.