Goa crisis: MGP chief wants law against defection amended

Dhavalikar pointed out that the number of MLAs keeping ideology aside and jumping ship has only increased over the years. “If you sit with a sheet, only Pratap Sing Rane (Congress MLA) and I am left,” he said.

Rane, he said, completed his full term, resigned and then chose the Congress “based on ideology”. “I have been in MGP since my karyakarta days. There are difficult years but I have never left my party,” he added.

“This is no longer just about politics in a small state. The national and regional parties across the country need to probe the manner in which Goa is losing its equations, its ideology and its MLAs,” Dhavalikar said. The MGP, which currently has Dhavalikar as its lone MLA in the Assembly, is fighting the defection of two MLAs in court — the MLAs joined the BJP early this year.

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“We are saying it aloud. The Act needs to be studied again. It needs to be amended. Our proposal is that a defecting MLA should not be allowed to complete term and he should resign and contest again,” he said.

Commenting on the prospects of Goa Forward, three MLAs of which were dropped as ministers, the MGP leader said, “Goa Forward should either stand again or join some other party and get lost.” Goa Forward has withdrawn its support to the NDA government and has joined the opposition.