PANAJI
Days after AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge left it to the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) to decide on alliances for the upcoming Assembly elections, the State Congress leadership has made its first move by reaching out to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) for pre-poll alliance talks.
GPCC president Girish Chodankar said he had personally contacted AAP chief Valmiki Naik and RGP national president and MLA Viresh Borkar to initiate discussions on bringing the parties together. However, both leaders were busy at the time and a meeting is expected to be held shortly.
“In the coming two-three days we will sit and discuss,” Chodankar told reporters, adding that Congress would take every step to bring all like-minded political parties together to defeat the BJP.
Speaking to The Goan later, Chodankar said the date for the meeting had not yet been finalised but discussions would begin soon. He, however, indicated that the process could take time.
“Alliance is not something that will happen in one or two rounds of meeting. It involves a lot of discussion,” he said, while declining to specify when Congress would announce its pre-poll alliance partners.
On the Goa Forward Party (GFP), Chodankar said Congress was ready for talks but was waiting for party chief Vijai Sardesai to make the next move.
“Vijai Sardesai has kept the alliance on hold, so we have not discussed anything. He has kept the alliance on hold, so we are waiting for him to take a step. We are ready for talks,” he said.
Kharge, who was in Goa earlier this week, had said the decision on stitching alliances with political parties in the State for the upcoming Assembly polls would be taken by the State Congress leadership. After meeting the Congress Political Affairs Committee (PAC), he said the central leadership would intervene, if required, to resolve differences among like-minded parties and facilitate an alliance.
Meanwhile, Chodankar stepped up his attack on the BJP, alleging a nexus between the ruling party and drug networks. Referring to repeated narcotics recoveries, including from Colvale jail, he said the government’s inability to prevent drugs from reaching a prison reflected a “complete collapse” of the law and order machinery.
He also questioned the alleged funding of the BJP’s new office by casinos and demanded that the party disclose how much donation it had received from the casino industry while alleging that a former BJP office-bearer holding a senior government position had helped secure a casino donation for the party office. Taking a jibe at the BJP, he asked whether the building should instead be called “Casino Bhavan”.
Cong constitutes 29-member PAC for Goa
PANAJI: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has constituted a 29-member Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), with immediate effect, ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The committee will be headed by AICC in-charge Manikrao Thakare as chairman and will include GPCC president Girish Chodankar, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao and AICC co-in-charge Dr Anjali Nimbalkar among its members.
Former GPCC president Amit Patkar is also part of the 29-member committee, along with senior Congress leaders and key party functionaries from across the state.
The formation of the PAC comes at a crucial juncture for the Goa Congress as the party prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections and steps up efforts to coordinate its political strategy in the state.
The State Heads of all frontal organisations of the party will serve as ex-officio members of the committee.
The PAC is expected to serve as the key forum for deliberations on political strategy, alliance, electoral preparedness and major organisational and political decisions concerning Goa.
