Eight new BJP MLAs from Goa to meet PM Modi on September 19

Eight Congress MLAs from Goa who switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier this week will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on September 19, said a senior official.

MLAs led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and BJP state unit president Sadanand Tanavade would meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow morning, the official added.

The official further informed that six legislators would go to Delhi tonight, while MLAs Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat, who is currently abroad from the country, will join them there.

Earlier on September 14, MLAs Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Phaldesai, Sankalp Amonkar, Rudolf Fernandes, and Aleixo Sequeira joined the BJP after passing a resolution in a meeting of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP).

According to the reports, the group is also expected to meet party president J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during their Delhi visit, but their appointments are not confirmed yet.

The BJP retained power in the 40-member Goa Assembly after the elections in March this year. It had 20 MLAs, while the Congress' strength has depleted from 11 to three after the recent defection.