No Congress MLA in touch for switchover, says Goa BJP prez

Panaji, June 13 (IANS) Amid speculation about some Congress MLAs keen on joining the BJP in Goa, state BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade on Monday said that no Congress MLA has approached him so far with such a proposal.

"No one has approached me so far. If entries are expected to be made in the party, the state president ought to be in the know. If they have contacted someone at the Centre, then I will get the information. I have no information so far," Tanavade told reporters in Panaji.

"The BJP government has the support of 20 party MLAs, two Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party MLAs and there are three Independents. We have good support as of now," Tanavade said.

The treasury benches in Goa currently occupy 25 seats in the 40-member state legislative assembly.

Tanavade was responding to speculation in the local media about several Congress MLAs likely to switch to the ruling BJP in the coming days.

Goa Congress president Amit Patkar has, however, denied that any of the party MLAs were in touch with the BJP.

Responding to accusations leveled by Goa's Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane, whose Ministry has filed criminal cases against Leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA Michael Lobo over illegal land conversion, Tanavade said that if Lobo is in the clear, he would have a chance to prove his innocence in course of the enquiry.

"The law will follow its course. There is no question of him being targeted. If he is not at any fault, then it will come to the fore during the enquiry," Tanavade told reporters.

"If the business itself is illegal, then there is no question of personally targeting him. He should prove it," the state BJP president also said.