Panaji , Mar 27 ): In a late night dramatic development, two MLAs from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) merged their party’s legislative wing with the BJP, said Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
The support of the MGP was crucial for the stability of BJP-led dispensation in Goa. The merger of the two-member legislative unit into the BJP brings the saffron party on par with the Congress with 14 seats each. The MGP is an alliance partner of the BJP in Goa since 2012.
“Two MGP MLAs Manohar Ajgaonkar and Deepak Pauskar have joined BJP for the stability of the government. Automatically, our strength has grown to 14,” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told ANI.
The MGP has three lawmakers in the 40-Member Goa Assembly and its senior leader and Marcaim legislator Sudin Dhavalikar is the deputy chief minister in the BJP-led Pramod Sawant government in Goa.
As two out of the three MLAs have merged the legislative wing, they are saved from inviting anti-defection law, which makes it mandatory that two-third of the strength should agree for merger.
The legislators broke away from the MGP and formed a group, MGP (two) on Tuesday. They have now merged the legislative unit with the BJP.
