Are Goa Congress MLAs joining BJP? Notification for Deputy Speaker elections cancelled

The Speaker of the Goa Assembly, Ramesh Tawadkar, on Sunday cancelled the notification announcing elections for the post of Deputy Speaker. The order was issued amid rumours that a group of Congress MLAs is contemplating an en masse shift to the BJP. The election was scheduled on July 12.

Legislature Secretary Namrata Ulman has said that the notification issued on July 8 under Rule 308 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn. "Hence the notice of nomination for election of deputy speaker issued under 9(2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn also," the order reads, adding no nomination would be accepted for the elections.

The Goa Assembly session will begin on Monday.

The rumours about a split were triggered by a meeting of Congress MLAs that took place on Saturday night. The Goa Congress chief Amit Patkar, however, said the rumours were spread by the ruling party BJP. He denied that the MLAs were planning an exodus.

Senior Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao, meanwhile, said the BJP was trying to poach the MLAs but the opposition's group of legislators is intact.

"Yesterday we had a Congress Legislative Party meeting in Goa. All the MLAs of the Congress party are intact but BJP is trying to poach our MLAs and intimidate them. But all the MLAs are intact," he said.

Goa Congress leader Michael Lobo also denied the rumours saying he hadn't been told about the split. He said the rumours were spread as the Assembly session is about to start.

The BJP won 20 of the state's 40 seats. The Congress was reduced to 11 seats.

With inputs from ANI