MARGAO: In a sheer coincidence, the Goa Forward party has called for clarity from the Congress leadership by Ganesh Chathurti on the issue of alliance, a day after the Nationalist Congress Party virtually served a 15-day deadline on the main opposition party to take a call on alliance deals for the 2022 Assembly polls.
That’s not all. Leaders of the NCP, Praful Patel and Goa Forward Chief Vijai Sardesai met over a luncheon meeting before the NCP National general secretary left the state on Thursday.
With the growing bonhomie between Praful Patel and Vijai Sardedsai in recent times, political observers are closely watching the unfolding developments whether the two parties will come together to fight the 2022 polls in the event the Congress prefers to go it alone.
The Goa Forward Chief, however, said the question of Goa Forward and the NCP coming together in 2022 is hypothetical in nature for the simple reason that the two parties are looking for a grand anti-BJP alliance, with all like-minded political parties, including the Congress. “I and Praful Patel did discuss the prevailing political situation in Goa and the preparedness for the coming polls. Right now, my party has sought clarity from the Congress over the issue of alliance. I agree that it was a sheer coincidence that the NCP has also asked the Congress to come clear on the alliance”, he said.
Sardesai pointed out that nothing has been discussed between the NCP and Goa Forward for fighting the 2022 battle together.
That the two parties have sought clarity from the Congress leadership assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the three-day visit of Congress senior leader P Chidambaram to Goa, which began on Friday. “Ganesh Chathurti is a time when 60 per cent of the Goan population visits their ancestral homes to celebrate the festival. We would like the Congress leadership to come out with clarity on the issue of alliance. As a political party, we are also under pressure from our workers and well-wishers to strengthen the party at the constituency level”, he said.
To a question, Sardesai said the party will go ahead with its plans of expanding its base across the state post-Ganesh Chathurti festival.
The Goa Forward Chief declined to comment on the statement by Congress new entrant Mickky Pacheco, opposing alliance with the Goa Forward and NCP. “Mickky is just a member. The Congress leadership with some authority should speak on the alliance issue. It’s not worth commenting on a statement made by a new Congress member”, he said.
