MAPUSA
After dithering for quite some time, the Aam Aadmi Party, Goa unit, on Wednesday, said the party has decided to contest in all three by-elections in the State to be held along with the polls for two Lok Sabha seats on April 23.
The AAP leadership has also informed that the party has finalized candidates for the three constituencies where by-polls are scheduled.
“AAP actually does not encourage by-elections as it unnecessarily puts burden on State finances and stress on the voters. But as a political party, we are sometimes forced to contest. We are contesting in the three constituencies “ Mapusa, Mandrem and Shiroda “ where by-polls are going to be held,” said AAP State General Secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar.
The AAP general secretary informed that the Goa unit of the party has got a go-ahead from AAP convenor Arvind Kajriwal to participate in the by-elections.
“We have finalized our candidates for Mapusa and Shiroda while in Mandrem we are about to take a final decision on the nominee,” he said.
It may be recalled AAP had not participated in the by-elections held in Panaji and Valpoi constituencies in this term of the legislative assembly.
The AAP was first to make its intention clear to contest the parliamentary election in State and had also announced the candidates “ Elvis Gomes in the South and Pradeep Padgaonkar in North.
The decision to contest the by-elections in State was possibly in retaliation to Cong’s failure to positively respond to AAP’s overtures to stitch an alliance for the ensuing parliamentary polls in Delhi.
