Defection sends jitters to Vijai

NT NETWORK

MARGAO

Shocked by the merger of the splinter group of the MGP into the BJP, Goa Forward Party chief and Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of his MLAs defecting to the BJP.

Asked whether there is a possibility of the GFP MLAs defecting to the BJP, Sardesai retorted, “Where will our Goa Forward Party MLAs go? They will go nowhere.  They are not readymade MLAs. If they wanted to go, they would have gone long ago.”

Speaking to media persons at his residence, he said the GFP is a new political party and that his MLAs are strongly bonded with it.

“We are not greedy for power. What has happened to the MGP will not happen to the GFP. We are ready to sit in the Opposition. We absolutely do not fear of any threat,” he maintained.

Claiming that he had seen the MGP split coming long back, Sardesai said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant must reveal his political roadmap to coalition partners and the people of Goa to help maintain “public credibility”.

“The MGP decision to contest the Shiroda bypoll sent a wrong signal. It showed that we (allies) are fighting among ourselves and that there is no unity, which had been stressed upon while the government was being formed under the leadership of the late Manohar Parrikar,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Stating that the Congress could break still further, he said, “If these things continue to happen then how public credibility will prevail in the state,” he asked, adding that the BJP should ponder over this question.