AMID ‘BHARAT JODO’ , BJP’S ‘CONG TODO’

Panaji: Barely 2 months after the Congress seemed to have staved off a defection bid, eight of its 11 MLAs led by top leaders Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo joined the ruling BJP, reducing the opposition party to just 3 members in a House of 40. “It is Congress chhoro (quit Congress), BJP ko jodo,” quipped Michael Lobo as the MLAs announced their switch in what’s being called yet another ‘Operation Lotus’, named after the BJP’s poll symbol. Kamat and Lobo were at the centre of the switchover speculation in July too, & Congress had even asked speaker to disqualify them under the anti-defection law. Senior leader Mukul Wasnik had been deputed by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to handle the crisis, and he appeared to have stopped it.