With an eye on the 2017 state elections, two former Goa MLAs today announced formation of a new political party.
Former legislators Pandurang Raut and Prakash Phadte have announced to form - 'Goa Praja Party', which will for now contest 10 seats of the total 40 in the upcoming Assembly polls.
"Goa is getting bad name through casinos and tourism. HIV is prevalent in the state. Goa has lost its identity and culture," alleged Raut, a former state transport minister.
"At present we have lined up 10 constituencies. We will decide the final figure in the run-up to the elections," he said.
While Raut is a former Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) legislator, Phadte, a former minister, was a BJP MLA.
On the casinos which are operating in river Mandovi, Raut said "Mandovi is like Ganga for us but what we see is that it is flooded with vessels loaded with casinos."
He also claimed that the land mafia is on rise in the state resulting in sky-rocketing prices of real estate.
