PANAJI
The Congress on Thursday welcomed the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) proposal for a pre-poll alliance to take on the BJP in the 2027 Goa Assembly elections, calling it a positive step towards
opposition unity.
The development comes a day after AAP formed a three-member committee to hold alliance talks with like-minded parties. The panel includes Goa unit president Valmiki Naik, working president Gerson Gomes and organisational secretary Prashant Naik.
Responding to AAP’s proposal, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar said the party welcomed the move.
“It’s basically a welcoming sign from AAP to have an alliance with us. Everyone feels there is a need to be united,” Chodankar told reporters.
He, however, clarified that no formal discussions have taken place yet.
“Unity is the first priority. During the talks, we will decide on seat-sharing and other issues,” he said.
Chodankar said the Congress, as the principal opposition party in the State, has already appealed to all opposition parties to come together to avoid a split in anti-BJP votes. He added that the Congress recently held discussions with leaders of the NCP, while a request for talks has also been sent to the Goa Forward Party.
AAP, while announcing its negotiation committee on Wednesday, said it did not want another fractured electoral mandate and believed Goa needed a stable government with a clear majority.
State president Valmiki Naik said the next government should have the support of at least 35 MLAs to prevent the BJP from engineering defections or destabilising it after the elections.
Naik also urged all opposition parties to put aside personal ambitions and leadership aspirations in the larger interest of Goa.
Cong urges Guv to act on law and order
PANAJI: Alleging a decline in Goa’s law and order situation, the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Thursday urged Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju to take urgent steps to restore public confidence and strengthen policing.
In a memorandum signed by GPCC president Girish Chodankar and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, the party claimed rising murders, dacoities, crimes against women and children, drug trafficking, cybercrime and land-related violence were threatening Goa’s reputation as a safe State.
