MARGAO
The formation of two non-BJP alliances—the Congress-Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) alliance and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-Goa Forward Party (GFP) tie-up under the Goa First banner—has put local political satraps eyeing the upcoming 2027 Assembly election in the spotlight.
While these two non-BJP alliances dominated attention as the parties stitched up their respective pacts in the run-up to Ganesh Chaturthi, the focus has now shifted to local political leaders across the Salcete countryside who do not belong to either of the two camps.
Against this backdrop, questions are being raised over how these political leaders will approach the 2027 Assembly election—whether they will seek to contest under the banners of either of the two fronts or chart an independent course.
Among those under scrutiny are Independent Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, the father-daughter duo of Churchill and Valanka Alemao, former Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues and former MLA Wilfred D’Sa. Questions are also being raised over how political aspirants such as Lyndon Monteiro, Warren Alemao and Dixon Vaz, along with former bureaucrats Elvis Gomes and Alexio Da Costa, plan to launch or revive their electoral careers in the emerging political landscape.
Reason. With the two alliances expected to field candidates under their respective party banners, the question of how these incumbent and former MLAs and ministers, as well as political aspirants, will position themselves for the 2027 election has become a key talking point in the Salcete countryside.
Reginaldo’s 2027 route
keeps Curtorim guessing
Curtorim presents another case in point. Independent MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco is gearing up for the 2027 election, with plans to play his fifth political innings from the constituency.
He has, however, kept political observers guessing about the banner under which he will contest the coming polls—whether he will seek re-election as an Independent or enter the fray under a political party.
Whether the Congress will open its doors to the Independent MLA if he knocks on the party's doors also remains unclear. The possibility of Reginaldo contesting on the Goa Forward Party banner, meanwhile, appears complicated by the GFP's alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, which has firmly set its sights on Curtorim in 2027.
