In yet another jolt the Congress ahead of the Goa Assembly polls, the party's state working president, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, resigned as member of the legislative assembly on Monday, reducing the party's strength to two in the 40-member House.
He said his supporters were apprehensive that joining TMC would invite the "outside party" to Goa which will split votes.
The Goa Congress faced a spate of resignations and confusion prevailed over its alliance with like-minded parties for the upcoming polls in the coastal state as the opposition party was getting ready for a series of meetings by general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday.
The biggest jolt the Congress came in 2019 when a group of its 10 MLAs, led by then leader of opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, left the party together and joined the ruling BJP.
'After joining, I realised the TMC in no way could bring a 'new dawn' in Goa.'
The seven-month-old Save Goa Front, a regional outfit launched by former Congressman Churchill Alemao, on Wednesday formally merged with the Congress party.
A senior Trinamool Congress party leader said in Panaji on Friday that the 'Federal Front', which is much different from the Third Front, would corner more than 100 seats after the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress won 17 seats in Goa, only four short of the magic figure to form the government. Soon after the results threw up a hung assembly, Independent candidate Rohan Khaunte had extended support to the party.
The Association of Democratic Reforms said Goa has set a unique record, which is "unparalleled" in the history of Indian democracy.
In keeping with the trend seen elsewhere in the country so far, an all-time-high 76.82 percent of the voters exercised the franchise in the two Lok Sabha constituencies of Goa on Saturday.
In the last two-and-a half years, the Congress has lost 13 of its MLAs to the BJP which now enjoys an overwhelming majority in the assembly.
Rane did not rule out the possibility of joining the BJP, saying 'all options are open'.
Political parties and social activists on Saturday protested police action against a Goan youth, who had allegedly posted comments against prime minister designate Narendra Modi on Facebook in March when the Lok Sabha campaign was on.
The fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections began on Friday, covering seven constituencies in four states where over half-a-crore voters decide the fate of 74 candidates.
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