Goa News: After Alina Saldanha one more BJP MLA to resign from party

PANAJI: After Goa BJP MLA Alina Saldanha from the Cortalim constituency resigned today, one more sitting BJP MLA is very likely to resign next week and leave the party.

The MLA who didn’t want to be named right now, said he has made up his mind and will announce his decision most probably in the coming week.

Speaking to this journalist, the BJP MLA said the party has decided to give fewer tickets to members of the minority community and some sitting Catholic BJP MLAs are not likely to get tickets this time.

Catholic BJP MLAs have privately voiced their dissatisfaction with the present faction led by CM Pramod Sawant as being indifferent to minority community MLAs, as compared to the setup under the late Manohar Parrikar.

Meanwhile, Saldanha resigned from the state Assembly as well as the party on Thursday, ahead of the Goa polls due next year, claiming the BJP was no longer the same organisation which she joined after her husband’s death in 2012.

Saldanha, 69, submitted her resignation at the Goa Assembly Speaker’s office today morning. Local media reports claimed she is likely to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but Saldanha has not confirmed anything. She said she will consult her supporters and decide.

Apart from Saldanha, four other legislators of different parties have resigned from the 40-member House in the recent past, bringing down the strength of the 40-member house to 35.