Two of the three Lawmaker of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party in Goa in wee hours on Wednesday announced to merge his party MGP with Bhartiya Janta Party. MLA Manohar Ajgaonkar and Dipak Pawaskar gave a letter the Goa Assembly Speaker Michael Lobo at 1:45 am stating the merge of MGP legislature party with the BJP.
In a letter to Goa Assembly Speaker Micheal Lobo, MGP MLAs Manohar Ajgaonkar & Deepak Pauskar stated that ‘We have agreed to merge Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Legislative Party (MGP) with BJP. Total strength of Legislators of MGP is three members & we constitute 2/3rd of the members’
MGP MLAs Manohar Ajgaonkar & Deepak Pauskar in a letter to the Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly: We have agreed to merge Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Legislative Party (MGP) with BJP. Total strength of Legislators of MGP is three members & we constitute 2/3rd of the members. pic.twitter.com/b2JWoX7SEi
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2019
However, MGP third MLA Sudin Dhavalikar has not signed the letter. It is noteworthy that Dhavalikar is appointed as deputy CM following the death of Manohar Parrikar and appointment of Pramod Sawant as the new Goa Chief Minister.
Goa Assembly Speaker Micheal Lobo speaking about the mid-night development said, ‘MGP’s legislative wing has split. 2/3rd of MGP legislators formed a separate group and have decided to merge with BJP. All formalities as per the Constitution of India have been completed’
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Michael Lobo, Goa Dy Speaker&BJP MLA on merger of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Legislative Party with BJP: MGP's legislative wing has split. 2/3rd of MGP legislators formed a separate group&they're merging it with BJP. All formalities as per Constitution of India have been completed. pic.twitter.com/DMszKPanbJ
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2019
The newly appointed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant termed the development as a move towards Stability. He said with the merger of MGP Lawmakers the BJP’s Strength in the house will reach to 14 MLAs.
Goa CM Pramod Sawant on merger of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Legislative Party with BJP: Two MGP MLAs Manohar Ajgaonkar & Deepak Pauskar have joined BJP for the stability of the government. Automatically, our strength has grown to 14. pic.twitter.com/ByF838ftOk
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2019
While MGP MLA Deepak Pauskar after the merger of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Legislative Party expressed happiness. Pauskar said, ‘ We have happily joined BJP. Oath-taking ceremony will take place at 12 PM (today) in the presence of Goa Governor. We will accept whatever ministry will be given to us by Goa CM’
However, He lashed out at Sudin Dhavalikar (Goa Deputy CM & MGP third MLA) and said he should be dropped now.
However, the mid-night development fumed the Congress and its lawmaker Sunil Kawthankar fired a salvo at Bhartiya Janta Party and blamed them threatening its allies. Congress Lawmaker said ‘BJP proved it’s a threat to all its allies. It’s a clear indication to all NDA partners before Lok Sabha polls that partnership with BJP will be detrimental to the existence of their own party’.
Sunil Kawthankar,Goa Congress on merger of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Legislative Party with BJP: BJP has proved it's a threat to all its allies. It's clear indication to all NDA partners before LS polls that partnership with BJP will be detrimental to existence of their own party. pic.twitter.com/ayYVce2bf7
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2019
With all the mid-night development, Bharatiya Janta Party strength has raised from 12 to 14, Congress has 12 Lawmakers, MGP has 1, Goa Forward has 3 and Nationalist Congress has 1 while 3 are independent lawmakers.
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