Congress, ally GFP counter AAP push in Salcete

Goa Congress chief Amit Patkar campaigning for the party's Benaulim candidate Luiza Rodrigues.

MARGAO
Congress leaders and alliance partners on Monday made a strong push in Salcete, a day after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal toured multiple constituencies to campaign for party candidates and appeal to Congress workers to join AAP in a bid to stop the BJP from returning to power.
While Goa Congress president Amit Patkar entered AAP’s strongholds of Benaulim and Colva to shore up support for Congress candidates, Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai rushed to Velim—another AAP-influenced constituency—to campaign for the Congress nominee.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao campaigned in Davorlim, where the BJP’s top leadership, including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and State BJP president Damu Naik, has already completed one round of canvassing. A report.
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Patkar plays down Kejriwal effect, says AAP lacks ground presence
MARGAO: Last time round, when Congress chief Amit Patkar had descended on Benaulim in 2024, he had come with a specific mission to support the Aam Aadmi Party in the Benaulim ZP bypoll as part of the INDIA Alliance.
Monday saw the State Congress chief in poll gear, as he hopped from Colva to Benaulim to boost the morale of the Congress workers on the ground, holding the fort for the party against a determined bid by the Aam Aadmi Party to win both the Benaulim and Colva seats.
Trying to downplay the Arvind Kejriwal effect in Colva and Benaulim, Patkar said the AAP national convenor had meetings at several places by mobilising crowds from other constituencies.
“I do not see AAP present in both Colva and Benaulim. Velim and Benaulim seats may be represented by Cruz Silva and Venzy Viegas in the Legislative Assembly, but AAP is not on the ground. I can say with confidence that Congress will win both the Benaulim and Colva seats, going by the public sentiment and the response during the door-to-door campaign,” he said.
Defending the choice of candidates for the Benaulim and Colva seats, Patkar said, “The party promoted the cadre to contest the election. Our Benaulim candidate Luiza Rodrigues is the Benaulim block Mahila Congress president. Her name was recommended by the block and accepted by the PEC. All over Goa, we have made an honest attempt to empower grassroots workers and strengthen the Congress,” he added.
Congress Benaulim leader Solan Furtado said the fact that the AAP has mobilised its cadres, including two former Delhi chief ministers, in Benaulim and Colva indicates that the writing on the wall is clear for the Kejriwal-led party.
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Davorlim campaign: Yuri targets BJP over Arpora fire, ‘crony rule’
MARGAO: Days after the BJP top brass vowed to retain the Davorlim seat, the home turf of BJP Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar, Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao descended into the constituency with party candidate Danny Fernandes and Navelim sitting ZP Cipru Cardozo.
Yuri slammed the BJP government, saying the government is "in the pockets of crony capitalists, who are actually running the government and carrying out illegalities in the State".
Speaking to media persons, he said that "the way crony capitalists are getting immunity in the State" makes it clear that they are running this BJP government. “These crony capitalist friends of the BJP are running nightclubs without permissions. They are committing all illegalities and this government is not taking action against them. This resulted in the death of 25 persons at a nightclub in Arpora,” Alemao said.
“With such acts, the BJP is exposed. People are awakening to the need to protect democracy from vote chori and electoral malpractices by the BJP,” he added.
He said that the current government failed to fulfil the promises of employment and providing free LPG cylinders. Alemao said that he is confident that people will vote against the BJP to protect Goa from further destruction.
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Only Congress win can dislodge BJP: Sardesai
MARGAO: Congress alliance partner Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai on Monday was in Velim to drum up support for the Congress candidate Julio Fernandes, with a clear message to voters that it would be difficult to dislodge the BJP government unless the Congress wins Salcete.
Sardesai’s message to Velim voters was loud and clear – stay away from AAP and the Independents in the fray if the people of Velim want to see a return of the Congress government in Goa.
Accompanied by South Goa district Congress president Savio D’Silva, the Goa Forward chief joined the campaign of Congress candidate Julio in Chinchinim.
Without taking any names, Sardesai said the people of Goa do not want the Delhi or any other model but the Goa model of development to take care of their future. “People are leaving the national capital during winter because of acute pollution. Many of them are even coming to Goa. This only goes to show the state of affairs in Delhi,” he added.
The Goa Forward chief also criticised the BJP, saying the ruling party is "responsible for the corruption, extortion and illegal activities going on in the State".
“The time has come to end the BJP rule in Goa. But that would happen only if the people of Salcete rally behind the Congress in the coming ZP polls and prepare the way for the ouster of the BJP in 2027,” Sardesai said.
Questioning the BJP’s absence from the Velim seat, Sardesai cautioned that the BJP has other plans for constituencies such as Velim, charging the saffron brigade with trying to make an entry through the back door.