PANAJI
With the BJP’s alliance negotiations with the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) yet to reach a conclusion, State BJP president Damu Naik on Monday declined to indicate whether the issue would be finalised during BJP national president Nitin Nabin’s Goa visit on Tuesday.
Nabin will be on two-day state visit from Tuesday, during which he is scheduled to meet the party’s executive committee, Ministers, MLAs to chalk out final strategies for the 2027 polls. Political, social and many other election related issues would be discussed during the meetings, Naik said.
Describing the discussions as being at a premature stage for public comment, Naik said the BJP would continue to strengthen its organisation across all 40 Assembly constituencies rather than depend solely on alliance arrangements.
“These discussions are currently at the 11th-hour stage, so to speak. It is too early to speak about it now, and I feel there is no need for me to comment on this at this stage,” Naik said when asked about the status of the alliance talks.
“We have our organisation, and we are making efforts to strengthen our base in all 40 constituencies. So far, whatever strength we have built and whatever foundation we have established has been through our organisation. We will continue to reach out to people and make our presence felt in the same manner,” he added.
The BJP and MGP held their first round of alliance discussions last week in the presence of BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh. However, the meeting did not result in a final decision, leaving the question of seat-sharing unresolved.
The negotiations are expected to be complicated by competing claims over constituencies, particularly Mandrem and Shiroda. The MGP is keen to retain Mandrem, represented by its sitting MLA, as well as Madkai, another constituency where it has a sitting legislator. It is also seeking a foothold in Shiroda and Ponda, both currently represented by BJP.
The constituency claims are likely to test the relationship between the two parties as they weigh electoral arithmetic against their respective organisational interests ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, the MGP has scheduled its annual general meeting (AGM) for October 30, ahead of which the party’s central committee is also expected to meet. Sources indicate that the alliance question is likely to be taken up after the MGP completes its internal deliberations and holds further discussions with the BJP leadership.
