8 Goa MLAs dump Congress, join BJP

Panaji: Seven months after they took a 'loyalty pledge' at temples, churches and mosques, eight of 11 Congress MLAs in Goa have switched to the ruling BJP. They had even taken an oath in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, hoping to convince voters -- and the party leadership -- that they would not switch after elections.

Digambar Kamat, who led the defections, said he and the rest of the MLAs had taken permission from God before joining the BJP and "God agreed".

The former Goa Chief Minister said he believes in God and it is true that before the election, they had taken an oath not to leave the Congress. But he gave himself an easy out. "I went to the temple again and asked God what to do. God told me do whatever is best for you," he told reporters.

It was in February, days before the Goa election, that Congress candidates took a pledge of loyalty in Rahul Gandhi's presence. "We have taken a promise in front of temple, mosque and church. Today, we are taking an oath in front of Rahul-ji, our boss," Sankalp Amonkar, one of the defectors, had said at the time.

The Congress was not taking any chances after a big chunk of its MLAs left the party in 2019.