Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said eight MLAs of Congress, including former chief minister Digambar Kamat, have joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unconditionally.

Addressing a press conference with state BJP chief Sadanant Shet Tanavade in Panaji, Sawant said that BJP's strength in the 40-member Assembly had gone up to 28 with the eight new entrants, reports PTI. The chief minister said eight of the 11 MLAs of Congress, including former CM Kamat, have joined the BJP. "With today's development, the BJP now enjoys the support of 33 MLAs (including two of the Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party and three Independents). These Congress MLAs have joined the BJP unconditionally," Sawant said. Taking a dig, Sawant said 'the Congress chhodo yatra' has begun from Goa and exuded confidence that the BJP will win another Lok Sabha seat in Goa in the next elections. Of the two Lok Sabha seats in the coastal state, the BJP and the Congress represent one each." In the 2024 polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be re-elected with the support of more than 400 MPs," he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the eight Congress MLAs Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes were seen interacting with chief minister Sawant in a viral photo after a resolution was passed in the Congress Legislature party to merge with the BJP.

The BJP retained power in the coastal state after the state Assembly elections in March this year. It has 20 MLAs in the Assembly, while the Congress' strength is set to be depleted from 11 to three.

The Goa Congress Legislature Party passed a resolution to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo moved the resolution in the presence of seven other MLAs. The resolution was seconded by former chief minister and MLA Digambar Kamat, sources said.

Prior to this development, the Congress had 11 legislators in the 40-member Goa Assembly and the BJP had 20.

Anti-defection law bypassed

Now, since eight MLAs have broken away as a group — two thirds of the party strength — they can avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law.

In a similar move in July 2019, 10 Congress MLAs had switched over to the BJP.

Wednesday's developments mean that the Goa Congress has fallen victim to another instance of "Operation Lotus," something it had managed to avert months earlier.

On July 11, senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik chaired a meeting with all leaders, including the disgruntled ones, and managed to avert a split in the party.

When Kamat stayed away

Ten out of the total 11 Congress MLAs in Goa attended that meeting. Except former chief minister Digambar Kamat, all other Congress MLAs, including Michael Lobo, were present on the night of the meeting that went on for over two hours at the state party headquarters.

Congress Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao and state party president Amit Patkar were also present at the meeting.

Wasnik claimed some people with bad intentions were trying to create a rift in the Goa Congress, but the legislators scuttled it by showing they are united.

He said during the meeting, discussions were held with the MLAs on how to work aggressively in the House and strengthen the party in the coastal state.