Panaji, Oct 21 (IANS): The Goa Congress on Saturday demanded to know why two of its now former MLAs met BJP national president Amit Shah before submitting their resignation from the party earlier this week before joining the BJP.

''They should explain under which rule they had to go to Delhi to resign. Before going to Delhi, one of them had said that he was going for a reception while another cited a business work. They will have to tell the people what business they had with BJP Chief Amit Shah,'' Congress spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar told a press conference in Panaji.

The two former Congress MLAs -- Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar -- on Tuesday quit the Congress and joined the BJP, which sparked political controversy in Goa.

Both former legislators met Amit Shah in the national capital before formally quitting the Congress.

Their decision comes in the backdrop of a political controversy in Goa, following Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's prolonged illness and with coalition allies stepping up pressure on the BJP for a bigger share of plum portfolios.