5 MLAs incommunicado, Congress sacks Goa LoP Michael Lobo for 'conspiracy'

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New Delhi, July 10

The Congress on Sunday removed Michael Lobo as Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly and said the party was unable to establish contact with five MLAs, including Lobo.

AICC Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao on Sunday accused Lobo and former CM Digambar Kamat of conspiring against the Congress to engineer a split. Gundu Rao said, “Lobo, Kamat and three other MLAs have gone incommunicado.”

The developments came on the eve of Goa Assembly session amid imminent crossover by several Congress MLAs to the BJP.

“Leader of Opposition in Goa Michael Lobo and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat were hatching a conspiracy by hobnobbing with the BJP to engineer defections in the Congress in Goa. The party has decided to remove Lobo from the post of the Leader of Opposition,” Rao said here in a statement, threatening further action against both Lobo and Kamat.

The Congress has 11 MLAs in the 40-member Assembly. Lobo, Kamat, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Faldesai and Delialah Lobo are the MLAs the Congress is unable to contact.

“Other MLAs Altone D’Costa, Sankalp Amonkar, Yuri Alemao, Carlose Alvares Ferreira, Rudolf Fernandes were present for the press conference today. Sixth MLA Aleixo Sequeira is in touch with the Congress,” Gundu Rao said.

The Congress earlier this week lost its presence in the UP legislative council for the first time in 135 years.