Goa: Congress removes Michael Lobo as LoP over ‘conspiracy to engineer defections’

Alleging that both Lobo and Kamat had been working with the BJP in the background, Rao said: "I remember Mr Kamat leading the oath in temple, church and dargah. Clear reflection of how much they believe in Goa."

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: July 10, 2022 10:37 PM IST

3 min read

Goa govt issues notice to hotels owned by Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo

Michael Lobo removed as Goa LoP. (File)

A day after dismissing the speculation that several Congress MLAs in Goa were ready to jump ship and join the ruling BJP, the state unit of the grand old party on Sunday removed Michael Lobo as the Leader of Opposition in the Goa Legislative Assembly.

Addressing the media, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao alleged that Lobo, along with Digambar Kamat, had hatched a conspiracy to engineer defections from the Congress to the BJP. “The conspiracy was led by two of our own leaders — Micheal Lobo and Digambar Kamat,” Rao said after a meeting with a few Congress MLAs at a hotel in Margao.

Alleging that both Lobo and Kamat had been working with the BJP in the background, Rao said: “I remember Mr Kamat leading the oath in temple, church and dargah. Clear reflection of how much they believe in Goa.”

He said the matter has been brought to the notice of the high command while Lobo has been immediately removed from the position of the Congress Legislature Party leader. “Action for anti-party activities will follow,” Rao added.

He also said that five of the Congress MLAs attended the meeting in the hotel on Sunday while the party is in touch with a few more. “Congress party will not be disheartened by the conspiracy hatched by these two leaders with the BJP.”

However, Rao regretted that “someone like Kamat, who gained so much from the Congress”, resorted to such “cheap politics”. “Lobo is a traitor, backstabber. This shows his character. It’s very saddening for all of us,” he rued.

On Sunday, the Congress had gathered its MLAs at a hotel in Margao at a time when speculation was rife that the party would splinter once again with some of its MLAs wanting to move to the treasury benches of the 40-member Goa legislative Assembly.

Story continues below this ad

Sunday was the second day of meetings that AICC Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao held with Congress party MLAs.

On Saturday, the Congress’s 11 MLAs had met Rao in Panaji — ostensibly to guide the party’s eight first-time MLAs ahead of the Legislative Assembly session beginning Monday — and asserted that the party was intact, dismissing rumours of turmoil in its ranks.

From the homepage