Traditional supporters not getting dues is temporary: Swamy

Panaji, Sep 30: Over two months after the BJP in Goa inducted 10 Congress MLAs, with three of them being made part of the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said "new people" becoming ministers and traditional supporters not getting their dues was "temporary".

He also said that the BJP is "keen" to see the entire country coming under its rule. Swamy was in Goa to take part in a function organised by the party.

In July this year, 10 Congress MLAs had joined the BJP, increasing the party's strength to 27 in the 40-member House. Three of them were appointed as ministers in the saffron party-led government in the state.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had dropped three Goa Forward Party (GFP) MLAs to accommodate the turncoats into his cabinet. He had also dropped an Independent MLA from the cabinet at that time.

"New people have become ministers and some of the traditional supporters have not got their dues. But I think these are temporary situations," Swamy said while addressing reporters in Margao.

"Even Lord Rama had accepted the support of Vibhishana (Ravana's brother). So we have the tradition that the larger good must be seen. We cannot afford to lose Goa because it is an intellectually very important state for us," he said.

He said the party is keen to see that the whole country comes under its rule.
"We think that if somebody is ready to accept your programme and willing to speak for it (then we accept him). Once he joins and behaves the same way he was behaving like some other party then I don't think BJP would tolerate," he added.