Former BJP minister in Goa Mahadev Naik Friday said he has decided to join the Congress.
Naik, who was a minister in the Laxmikant Parsekar-led cabinet, had contested the 2017 Assembly polls on BJP ticket from Shiroda constituency. However, he had lost to Congress candidate Subhash Shirodkar, who joined the ruling BJP in October last year.
Shirodkar is now tipped to be the BJP candidate for the Shiroda by-election, dates of which are yet to be announced.
"I have decided to join the Congress after several leaders approached me to put up a common front against Shirodkar," Naik said when contacted.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) chief Girish Chodankar said, "Naik would be joining the Congress soon to put up a united front against Shirodkar."
He said the Congress has started approaching the leaders, who are opposed to Shirodkar.
Shirodkar and another Congress legislator Dayanand Sopte (Mandrem seat) had resigned in October last year to join the BJP, necessitating by-election in these constituencies.
Chodankar said a meeting of party leaders was held a at Margao on Thursday that was chaired by All India Congress Committee secretary A Chellakumar.
Several Congress MLAs, including former chief ministers Digambar Kamat, Ravi Naik and Francisco Sardinha, were present at the meeting.
"People of Shiroda are upset as their MLA (Shirodkar) resigned midway without any valid reason for his personal gains. Congress has always emerged victorious in Shiroda constituency and will continue the trend even during upcoming election," Chodankar said.
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