Senior politicians in Goa [Images] have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party to demand the dissolution of the state assembly and fresh elections rather than hold by-elections.

Goa has been under President's rule since March 4, following the political stalemate after the BJP-led Manohar Parrikar [Images]
government was toppled.

Meanwhile, by-elections are to be held in five assembly constituencies by July as the seats have fallen vacant after the resignation of the five BJP legislators.

BJP leaders met the Election Commission in New Delhi to demand that it should not hold by-elections to five assembly seats in Goa as long as the House is under suspended animation.

"In the normal case, the by-election to the five seats should have been held within six months of them falling vacanct. But holding of by-election to an assembly under suspended animation will be unprecedented," BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan told reporters after the meeting.

He said the party delegation, which included former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar and party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, requested the EC that before taking a decision on holding the by-election it must seek the Centre's views whether it wanted to revive the assembly after the by-elections or dissolve it.

(With PTI inputs)