Alliance buzz grows as parties find common ground
PANAJI
The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Benaulim MLA, Venzy Viegas on Friday signalled his party's readiness for an unconditional alliance with the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP).
Viegas said that his party has responded positively to RGP chief Manoj Parab’s appeal for alliances. “We are open to discussions. I have spoken to our national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. Talks will proceed step by step,” Viegas stated.
He clarified that any alliance would rest solely on a 'Common Minimum Programme' and shared ideological ground.
Interestingly, Viegas' statement comes at a time when both parties find themselves aligned on key issues, most recently the agitation against Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act.
When RGP MLA Viresh Borkar led a protest at the TCP department, which escalated into a fast-unto-death and a State-level agitation, Viegas was among the first political leaders to join him in solidarity.
The bonhomie was visible as the protest grew into a full‑blown State‑level movement. The optics of two Opposition MLAs -- Viegas and Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao -- standing together gave momentum to the agitation and raised speculation about a political realignment.
Borkar’s fast drew wide attention, forcing the government to respond and the controversial section 39A, which critics say dilutes local planning powers, has become a rallying point for opposition parties now.
AAP’s support for RGP’s stand added weight to the agitation. Observers note that the chemistry between Viegas and Borkar could lay the groundwork for a broader alliance. Both parties have positioned themselves as challengers to the ruling establishment. Their cooperation on the TCP issue has demonstrated potential for joint action.
Parab, meanwhile, had already declared openness to alliances, and AAP’s positive response marks the first concrete step toward collaboration between the two parties. The timing is significant, with civic and assembly politics in flux.
Although the alliance talk remains exploratory, the shared stage at the TCP protest and the fast has given it impetus, and whether the two parties translate the bonhomie into a formal pact will be closely watched both by political observers and the general public.
The agitation against Section 39A, nonetheless, has shown that Opposition unity can amplify pressure, but whether it evolves into a lasting alliance will depend on negotiations and developments in the days ahead, especially the coordination, if any, at the upcoming budget session of the Goa legislative assembly slated to begin on March 6.
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‘Conspiracy collapsed’: AAP Goa cheers Kejriwal, Sisodia verdict
PANAJI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa celebrated the discharge of its National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case, calling it a vindication of the party's honest politics pitch.
AAP's Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said the verdict had direct resonance in Goa.
“I was taunted inside the Assembly over the so-called liquor scam. Today, the conspiracy has collapsed. BJP tried to break our party by offering power and positions, but we chose to stand by our principles. Despite attempts to engineer defections of MLA Cruz Silva, the party remained united. We stayed loyal to our people and will strive to form the next AAP government in Goa,” he asserted.
Echoing this, MLA Cruz Silva praised the resilience of AAP’s cadre. "Despite arrests of our leadership, not a single leader defected. The court order is a stamp on AAP’s honest politics,” Silva said.
