The Congress and its allies in Goa [Images] secured absolute majority in the state assembly on Sunday bagging four of the five seats in the byelections.

With this the Congress comibine is set to for return to power.

With Sunday's results, the Congress and its allies -- Nationalist Congress Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party -- together command the support of 20 legislators in the assembly with an effective strength of 39.

Digambar Kamat (Margao), Babush Monserette (Taleigao) and Pandurang Madkaikar (Cumbarjua), all former ministers in the erstwhile Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, won the bypolls on the Congress ticket. The Congress now has 17 MLAs

NCP candidate Micky Pacheco, who had also quit the BJP, won from Benaulim. The NCP has the support of two MLAs.

MGP candidate Isidore Fernandes (Poinguinim), who was facing election for the third time during the ongoing tenure of the 10th assembly, lost to the BJP candidate Ramesh Tavadkar. The MGP has one MLA.

The BJP's strength in the House has now risen to 15.

The new trend of defections by quitting the party and coming back through bypolls was started by the BJP.

Fernandes had quit the Congress in November 2004, to get reelected on the BJP ticket. He, however, quit once again within three months along with four others.

This had resulted into the collapse of the four and half years' tenure of chief minister Manohar Parrikar [Images] in February 2005.

However, in spite of installing the Congress-led alternate government, chief minister Pratapsing Rane had failed to prove his majority on March 4.

Governor S C Jamir has been ruling Goa since then.

The outcome of the bypolls has spurred efforts for the formation of a popular government in the state.

Goa's assembly is currently under suspended animation.

WITH PTI INPUTS