Goa's lone NCP MLA merges legislative unit with Trinamool

Goa's lone Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Churchill Alemao on Monday claimed that he has merged the legislative unit of the party into the All India Trinamool Congress.

Alemao, who submitted a copy of the merger resolution to the office of Speaker of the state legislative Assembly Rajesh Patnekar, said that he would be recognised as a Trinamool Congress MLA after the state legislative department issues a formal notification acknowledging his merger.

"I will be an MLA of TMC after notification is issued in two to three days," Alemao said, after submitting his resolution to the Speaker's office.

The development comes at a time when West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress founder Mamata Banerjee is in Goa on a two-day visit to the poll-bound state.

Asked why he chose to merge the NCP legislative unit into the Trinamool Congress, Alemao said: "I waited for a year for the NCP-Congress merger to happen.

"Only Mamata Banerjee can fight the BJP. Congress cannot make that change happen," said Alemao, a former Chief Minister of Goa. -IANS