New Delhi: In yet another blow to the Congress ahead of the Goa elections, the party’s state working president Alexo Reginaldo Lourenco on Monday resigned as a member of the Legislative Assembly.
With this, the strength of the Congress party has come down to two in the 40-member house.
Alexo Reginaldo Lourenco, who represents Curtorim assembly constituency in South Goa district, submitted his resignation at the Speaker’s office on Monday afternoon, news agency PTI reported.
He later resigned from the Congress as well, PTI quoted sources as saying.
Notably, the Congress last week announced its first list of eight candidates for the upcoming state assembly elections, with Alexo again mentioning the party in Curtorim.
Recently, two other Congress leaders resigned as MLAs in the state, where assembly elections are expected to be held early next year.
Congress reacted sharply to the fresh resignations, saying those who betray trust will face consequences and voters of the assembly seat of Alekso Lourenco will teach them a “proper lesson”.
Alexo was working as the working president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee.
Meanwhile, according to PTI sources, he may soon join the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress Party (TMC).
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Congress party’s Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao reacted to the political developments through a tweet, where he wrote that the party was adamant and adamant.
“Those who act in a selfish manner and betray trust will have to face the consequences. After taking whatever he could and misleading us till the last minute, if he can lie and deceive us, I am sure the voters of Curtorim will teach him a lesson,” he tweeted.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Digambar Kamat wrote that the Congress had “successfully withstood many storms, floods and tsunamis”.
“Our office bearers have the strength and ability to defeat the opportunists. Congress party is here to form the government in 2022. I am committed to leading @INCGoa to a thumping victory,” the former Goa CM, who will contest the upcoming elections from the Margao seat, tweeted.
Earlier this month, former Goa Chief Minister Ravi Naik resigned as Congress MLA. Earlier, former CM Luizinho Faleiro had also quit the Congress and joined the TMC after the Mamata Banerjee-led party decided to contest the Goa Assembly elections.
In the 2017 Goa Legislative Assembly election, the Congress had won 17 seats in the House and emerged as the single largest party. However, the BJP, which had secured 13 seats, managed to form an alliance with some regional parties and independent candidates to form the government in the coastal state.
This time, the TMC and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are also trying to wrest power in Goa to extend their influence in the states due next year.
(with agency input)
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