‘Congress has a secret measure in place to deter MLAs from defecting’

Panaji : Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar has claimed that the party has put in a ‘secret’ measure in place to ensure that its winning candidates do not defect after results of the state assembly polls are announced on March 10.

Apart from making all its 37 candidates take oath in front of Hindu, Christian and Muslim deities and making them sign affidavits that they will not defect from the party throughout their five-year term if they are elected, the Congress party, Chodankar said has taken another measure, which cannot be disclosed.

“People of Goa are god fearing. We have taken a social commitment from them (MLA) in temples and the Bambolim cross (a Christian religious site). If they renege, the people of Goa will not spare them. Secondly, we have taken an affidavit from them too,” Chodankar said.

“We have also taken a third measure, which we cannot disclose on social media. We have told the candidates what their fate will be even if one of them breaks away. We cannot say this publicly. Everything is ready. People will not agree this time. People will drag them out of their homes and beat them (if they defect).”

Seventeen Congress MLAs were elected to the state Assembly following the 2017polls out of which 13 quit the party to join the BJP until 2019.

However the party was left with just two MLAs by 2022, with its other MLAs joining the BJP, Trinamool Congress or the Aam Aadmi Party between 2019-2022.