"The Chief Minister's statement has expressed lack of confidence about Modi coming back to power as the Prime Minister," D'Mello told reporters.

Sawant had said at an election rally earlier that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa would have to sit on the opposition benches if Narendra Modi did not become the Prime Minister after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"It is important for us to have a government at the Centre. If Modi ji is there at the Centre, the BJP will be (in power) here. If he is not there, then we will not be here too; we will have to sit on the opposition benches," said Sawant, whose coalition government has a slender majority of 20 in a state Assembly of 36.

The Congress spokesperson also said that Sawant's comments exposed the fact that his government was controlled by the Central government and that it was not holding its stead on its own.

"Sawant has also exposed that his government is controlled by the central government, which is using all the agencies to blackmail and win over MLAs. At last he has seen defeat on his face," D'Mello said.

--IANS

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