BJP rules out desertion of three MLAs to woo Congress

Panaji, Sep 30 (UNI) Pooh-poohing media reports of three BJP legislators were hobnobbing with the Congress leadership for switching over, opposition leader in Goa Assembly and former chief minister Manohar Parrikar asked people not to believe the Congress' polytricks.

Reacting to reports in a section of the local press, Mr Parrikar said floating of such rumours was nothing but camouflaging the internal bickerings mounting in the Congress camp with the elections fast approaching.

Meanwhile, two of the three BJP legislators - Ramarao Dessai and Rajesh Patnekar - had rubbished the media reports as far from truth and threatened to sue the newspapers for defamation.

They claimed that they continued to be the loyal workers of the BJP and the question of defecting to the Congress would not arise.

The frustrated Congress had been trying in vain all its gimmicks to disrupt the BJP camp, they said.

The duo said they were very much in Goa yesrerday, but not in Mumbai to call on the AICC general secretary Margret Alva as reported through headlines in the local newspapers.

The third legislator Mr.Manohar Azgaonkar could not attend the press conference as he was away from the capital. Mr Azgaonkar and Mr.Ramarao were ministers in the erstwhile BJP government headed by Mr.Parrikar till it was ousted out of power early last year.

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