Panaji, May 20 (IANS): In an apparent jibe at defectors, the Goa Congress asked them to check their 'khoke' (crores of rupees) to see if they consist of Rs 2,000 banknotes, which were withdrawn from circulation by the RBI on Friday.

"Hello Defectors! Keep check on Rs 2,000 notes in your #Khoke, otherwise it will not be OK," Amarnath Panjikar, head of Goa Congress media cell, tweeted.

September 14, 2022, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Rajesh Faldesai, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes had jumped the ship from the Congress to the BJP, reducing the grand old party's strength to just three in the 40-member Goa Assembly.

The very next day, then Congress' Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao had alleged that the BJP paid Rs 30-40 crore each to the MLAs to defect, questioning why the Income Tax Department or the Enforcement Directorate was not looking into the issue.

Rao had said that a 'split' conspiracy was hatched by the BJP in collusion with Digambar Kamat and Michael Lobo.

"These eight MLAs defected for power, money and to avoid threats from the agencies for whatever wrong they have done," he had said.

"Around Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore was given to them. Some of them will become ministers now. Who is funding the BJP to purchase MLAs," he had asked.

Hitting back at Rao, BJP MLA Sankalp Amonkar had said that the former sold tickets for crores of rupees during the Assembly elections.

The word ‘khoke' has become popular in Goa's political circles ever since the defection episode of 2022.