It was end of my father’s path of politics on March 17: Utpal Parrikar

Panaji: BJP leader and son of late Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Utpal Parrikar, on Thursday sent out a note of caution on the ten Congress MLAs joining the BJP bandwagon by saying their loyalty is under a cloud.

"I am not surprised. Our state president was telling all the Goans about the ten Congress MLAs joining BJP. But this is a different path from what my father had taken. I knew on March 17 when my father passed away that it was the end of a path. This is a new path and we will have to see where it takes us in the future," he said.

"The cadre of this party have worked in a sincere way for around 30 years. Now with 10 Congress MLAs joining in, we don't know about their level of commitment to the party. Congress is imploding everywhere. Only time will tell where this path takes us as their loyalty is under cloud."

The Congress MLAs who severed ties with the grand old party are -- Chandrakant Kavlekar, Isidore Fernandes, Francis Silveira, Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Jennifer, Atanasio Monserrate, Antonio Fernandes, Nilakanth Halarnkar, Clafacio Dias and Wilfred D'Sa.

"BJP has got a clear mandate today. The number of MLAs is up to 27 and with this, we can do people's work," said Goa Assembly Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo.

Filipe Neri Rodrigues said, "We have already joined the BJP. We are part of it now. It's a collective opinion of all the Congress legislators that BJP has got the mandate of people. What we could not deliver to the people of Goa being in Opposition, we will also try to take benefit of this government to the people."