MARGAO
Citing the results of recent Rajasthan local body elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday cautioned Goan voters against what it described as the risk of cross-voting and post-poll defections in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Addressing the media, AAP leaders said that in at least three civic bodies where Congress won the highest number of seats — Ajmer Municipal Corporation, Pali Municipal Corporation and Kuchaman City Nagar Parishad — Congress councillors cross-voted to help BJP candidates get elected as mayor or chairperson.
AAP organising secretary Prashant Naik said Congress won 37 seats against BJP’s 32 in Ajmer, but BJP’s Anamika Sharma was elected mayor with 43 votes. In Pali, Congress won 29 seats against BJP’s 21, but BJP’s Namita Bubakia was elected with 33 votes. In Kuchaman, Congress won 17 seats against BJP’s 15, but BJP’s Mahesh Ramchandka secured the chair with 25 votes.
He contrasted this with Baran Municipal Council, where AAP won 31 of the 60 seats. Naik said all 31 AAP councillors stayed with the party and Sheetal Rathore was elected chairperson.
“Rajasthan has just given the country a lesson. Congress workers fight the election, and their own councillors hand the chair to BJP the same evening. This has now happened in three cities in a row,” Naik said.
Referring to Goa, he said 17 Congress MLAs won in 2017, of whom 10 later joined BJP, while eight of the 11 Congress MLAs elected in 2022 subsequently joined BJP.
AAP senior vice-president Sandesh Telekar Dessai said Congress should stop the Goy Rakhon Yatra and instead start an “MLA Rakhon Yatra”, claiming the party’s challenge was retaining its elected representatives.
He also urged voters seeking to defeat BJP not to split their votes between Congress and AAP. “Splitting the anti-BJP vote between Congress and AAP only lets BJP form the government through the back door,” he said.
AAP Goa said voters should consolidate behind the party to prevent what it described as a repeat of Goa’s defection pattern, where divided votes could be followed by post-election shifts.
