PONDA: Queering the pitch of BJP’s Subhash Shirodkar in the Shiroda by-poll, former BJP MLA Mahadev Naik rejoined the Congress party on Sunday at a public meeting held at Shiroda, which was attended by Congress’ state in-charge Dr A Chellakumar and several local leaders of the party.

Speaking after officially rejoining the Congress, Mahadev Naik vowed to teach the BJP a lesson.

“I was with the Congress for 18 years, and now I am rejoining it to teach a lesson to the BJP and Subhash Shirodkar,” he thundered.

Slamming the BJP for its double standards adopted during the 2017 assembly elections, the former industries minister said, “The BJP tried to end the career of a Bahujan Samaj leader during the 2017 assembly elections… The BJP leaders succeeded in causing damage to the careers of several of its leaders.  But these leaders are now ready to cause damage to the BJP.”

He held forth on the developmental works carried out by him in 10 years as an MLA, claiming that he facilitated more government jobs to the Shiroda voters, as compared to Shirodkar.

Mahadev Naik expressed confidence at the Congress coming back to power.

The public meeting, which  pulled over 1000 locals, was  attended by Goa pradesh Congress committee chief Girish Chodankar, Opposition leader Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar, Ponda MLA Ravi Naik, Francisco Sardinha, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and other party leaders.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Chellakumar termed the land acquisition deal involving Shirodkar as ‘open bribery’ paid by the BJP government.

He exhorted the people of Shiroda to teach the BJP a lesson for the misuse of public money for “bribing” Shirodkar.

If the Congress comes back to power then it would nullify the deal,   Dr Chellakumar assured, promising to dole out the money that will be recovered to the panchayats coming under the Shiroda assembly segment.

The central leader of the Congress urged the people to forgive Mahadev Naik for leaving the party, appealing to the voters to defeat the defector Shirodkar.

Speaking on the occasion, Margao MLA Digambar Kamat claimed that Mahadev Naik’s re-entry into the Congress and former chief minister Laxmikant Pareskar’s decision to contest the Mandrem by-election as an Independent candidate has shattered the BJP dream of Congress-mukt Goa.

Chodankar, Kavlekar, Ravi Naik, Sardinha and Lourenco also spoke on the occasion.

Several villagers also spoke out against Shirodkar.