Party strengthens grassroots presence, ST outreach
Aam Aadmi Party leaders welcomed Shashikant Velip into the party at Margao.
MARGAO
The Aam Aadmi Party Goa on Friday welcomed Shashikant Velip, a social worker from Colony Village, Dharbandora, into the party ahead of the upcoming Zilla Panchayat polls.
Speaking after joining AAP, Shashikant Velip said, “Every election, the BJP comes with big promises of 10,000 jobs. But after elections, they disappear for five years. The ST community in Sanvordem has faced injustice and neglect.
"AAP has shown in Goa that good work can be done with good intent. The health camps and groundwork by AAP have helped thousands. That is why I am joining this honest and people-first party.”
Welcoming him into the party fold, Benaulim MLA Capt Venzy Viegas said, “When a common man and a farmer like Shashikant Velip joins AAP, it strengthens our belief that the people of Goa are standing with us in this fight against the corrupt system of the BJP. AAP is the platform for honest Goans who want real change.”
Velim MLA Engr Cruz Silva added, “If there is any party that has consistently fought against BJP’s misrule, it is AAP. From exposing scams to serving people through health camps, AAP’s work speaks for itself. That is why people from diverse backgrounds—farmers, workers, professionals—are joining us in large numbers.”
Working President Gerson Gomes said, “We wholeheartedly welcome Shashikant Velip into the AAP family. We will stand with him in every struggle for justice, for farmers’ issues, and for the rights of the ST community. Together, we will take this fight forward.”
The Aam Aadmi Party stated that Velip’s entry marks another step in strengthening its grassroots presence in the Sanvordem–Dharbandora region, especially among tribal communities who have long demanded fair treatment and accountability from the government.
