Nearly 24 hours after his party labeled him a “traitor” and a “back-stabber”, Congress MLA Michael Lobo returned to Congress House in Panaji on Monday to discuss with Congress general secretary Mukul Wasnik, who was expelled from Delhi. was done. Was sent. Wasnik, the face of the division in the state unit, later said, “It was a very good discussion”.
Goa’s party in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao had accused Lobo and former CM Digambar Kamat of hatching a conspiracy. BJP Incorporating at least eight out of 11 Congress MLAs into the BJP.
The future of Lobo and Kamat in the party seems to be hanging in the balance as the Congress party has filed a petition before the Speaker, seeking their disqualification.
Lobo, his wife Delilah Lobo and MLAs Kedar Naik and Rajesh Faldesai, who did not attend the press conference called on Sunday, met Wasnik, Rao and Goa Congress President Amit Patkar.
Rao laughed when asked if Lobo was still a “traitor”. “Congress is a party with a big heart but some things are yet to be sorted out. I can’t say everything. Whatever we’ve done, we’ve done,” he added Indian Express,
While Kamat stayed away from the legislature party meeting, Lobo, who left the Congress house at around 11 am on Monday, said the party had no ground to demand his disqualification, but it would ultimately be the Speaker’s decision. “Not attending a press conference cannot be a ground for disqualification. I told him that he was making fun of his own party.
“I have told them that we have been elected from the Congress and our tenure is of five years. I have made my stand very clear. we’re going nowhere. No matter who the leader is or who is trying to defect, we are firmly with the party,” Lobo said.
The storm may have subsided, but the rift in the Goa Congress was clearly visible on Monday. Lobo also believed that there could be no smoke without fire. “There was smoke. I won’t deny it but the one who was doing engineering was engineering for everybody. They were told Michael had to be kicked out.”
“We held a meeting with our members of the legislature party today. There was a great discussion. The Assembly session is underway… We discussed how the Congress can play an active role in the House,” Wasnik said after the meeting, evading questions about the party’s move to demand Lobo’s disqualification.
Both Lobo and Kamat participated in the first monsoon session of the Assembly on Monday and made it to the opposition benches.