Congress's share of seats will shrink further in Goa polls: MGP

PANAJI: A day after Congress said the party might go solo in the Goa Legislative Assembly polls next year, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) today claimed their number of seats will reduce further.

"Congress was ousted from power in 2012 Goa Assembly polls due to rampant corruption and their misdeeds. This time their number (of seats) will shrink further," MGP President Dipak Dhavalikar claimed.

AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh yesterday said the party might contest in all 40 constituencies of Goa Legislative Assembly on its own.

The party would take its cadres into confidence before deciding on any alliance, he had said.

Dhavalikar, who is also a minister in the Manohar Parsekar-led Goa Cabinet, "challenged" Digvijay Singh to let Congress "contest in all seats and get elected with majority".

The MGP had shared power with Congress in the state from 2005-2012, but joined hands with the BJP before the 2012 elections.

Of the 40 seats in Goa Assembly, 21 seats are with BJP, three with MGP, nine with Congress, two with Goa Vikas Party, and five with Independents.