Goa Congress LoP Michael Lobo to rejoin BJP along with 9 others: Sources

In a major setback to Congress in Goa, the party's Legislature leader Michael Lobo is set to rejoin the Bharatiya Janata Party, along with 9 others today. 

Michael, along with his wife Delilah Lobo had quit BJP in January this year and joined Congress ahead of the Goa Assembly Elections. Following the defection, BJP's Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis claimed that Lobo quit as the party was not ready to give a poll ticket to his wife. 

A strongman from North Goa, Lobo was a minister in the Pramod Sawant-led government and held charge of the state port and waste management departments in Goa Cabinet. After the BJP returned to power in Goa with a comfortable majority in the 2022 elections, Congress appointed Lobo as the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. 

Sources claim that the Calangute MLA is likely to return to the saffron fold and will be officially re-inducted into the party today. 

Goa Assembly Elections 2022

In the 2022 Assembly polls in Goa, BJP successfully defended its government and retained power despite a strong anti-incumbency wave in the state. The party won 20 seats and emerged as the single largest winner in the state while the exit polls predicted that Congress will give a tough fight to the saffron party. In an attempt to return to power, Congress in comparison with the results of other states fared well as the party garnered 12 seats in the assembly elections.

Debutant in the western coastal state, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress fought the election with MGP. TMC, however, failed to open their account whereas MGP won 2 seats and have now decided to get in collation with the BJP.