10 Goa Congress MLAs may have joined BJP: Official

Panaji, June 12 (IANS) Ten Goa Congress MLAs wanted to merge the legislative unit of the Opposition party into the BJP, but the party High Command rejected the move, state BJP President Vinay Tendulkar said on Wednesday.

Tendulkar rubbished allegations made by state Congress President Girish Chodankar that Rs 40-60 crore were being offered to Congress MLAs to switch sides.

"From our side, we do not want to destabilise any party. 23 MLAs are enough to run the party. Earlier, 10 Congress MLAs had come to merge the party with the BJP. But the central leadership had rejected the plan. We clearly said no," Tendulkar told reporters at a press conference at the state BJP headquarters.

Tendulkar said that there was a nationwide trend of Congress leaders joining the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) because "they believe that the BJP is going to be in power for the next 25 years".

The BJP leader's comments come days after Chodankar accused the BJP of trying to poach his party MLAs with money and or ministerial berths, while also expressing his inability to rein in his party MLAs in face of such lures.

Tendulkar called Chodankar's claim baseless.

"Congress President Girish Chodankar is making baseless allegations. BJP officials or MLAs have not spoken to any MLA about entry into party. No discussion is on either," Tendulkar said.

He said when two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte joined the BJP last year, there was no financial exchange between the BJP and the two politicians.

"Whatever figures he is stating of Rs 40-60 crore and ministership. The Congress may have this habit, the BJP does not," he also said.