Panaji, Jan 29 (IANS): Clearing air over rumour of his joining the ruling BJP, Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai has stated that it is a tactic by the saffron party to baffle public over his performance in assembly session.

Rumours were rife after Sardesai inspected the meeting place in his constituency Fatorda on account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in Goa on February 6, where he will address a government function.

Speaking over the issue, Sardesaid said “Whenever assembly sessions are summoned, such rumours are purposely spread. It is to baffle the people and make them believe that a leader who grills the government and raises voice is ‘match fixing’. This is a conspiracy by the BJP to show that I am joining ruling benches. It is a tactic of the ruling BJP."

“There is no proposal from the ruling party to join or tie-up. Rumour has no base. I will always raise the issues for the betterment of Goa,” Sardesai said.

Sources informed that ruling BJP had requested Sardesai to help to organise a meeting of Narendra Modi and hence he had inspected the site.

“I had supported Manohar Parrikar government (in 2017) on some issues. It was open support. I had taken people into confidence. Now there is no need to take such a step,” Sardesai said.

In the last term of the BJP government, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had dropped Goa Forward MLA Vijai Sardesai and his other two MLAs (in July 2019) from the cabinet to accommodate Congress defectors after the death of former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Then Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai, Goa Forward Party MLAs Vinod Palienkar and Jayesh Salgaocar were dropped from the Cabinet. Later, GFP had a pre-poll alliance with Congress in the 2022 assembly election.