the goan I network
PANAJI
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday officially announced Valmiki Naik as the party’s candidate for the Panjim by-poll, with party convenor and South Goa Lok Sabha candidate Elvis Gomes saying that Naik was a party loyalist.
Describing Naik as one of the earliest members of the party, Gomes said that the post-graduate in civil engineering from the University of Texas stood a good chance, and appealed to the Congress to back Naik, since the Congress had not yet declared a candidate.
Speaking to “The Goan,” Naik said, “The BJP has been winning in Panjim for almost 25 years because of a fractured opposition where the votes get split. I think it’s important that there is a one-on fight in Panjim to defeat the BJP.”
He explained that the AAP had given the Congress the benefit of taking on the BJP in the 2017 by-poll, where they did not even come close to giving the BJP a fight. “I think if there’s a one-on fight between AAP and BJP, AAP would definitely win. Many people would not want to vote for Congress or Babush, but would vote for AAP,” said Naik.
Meanwhile, Naik said that if the BJP gave the ticket to Utpal, son of late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, “It would make Utpal Parrikar BJP’s Rahul Gandhi.”
He also slammed the recent party-hopping that has taken place in
the state.
