The Defectors and the Details: Understanding the Recent Exodus from Goa Congress to the BJP
By THE AL-ZULAIJ COLLECTIVE
The recent defection of ten MLAs from the Congress party in Goa to the BJP has sent shock waves not just through the political establishment in Goa, but throughout the country. For those who believed that one could not plumb the depths of cynical politics any further, the Goan defection indicates that there is always further disappointment waiting. But, while most commentators were appalled by the situation, they have, unfortunately, failed to recognize the importance of caste in the recent political maneuverings, with all its implications.