‘Operation Vijai’ to roll out after Ganesh Chaturthi as party targets BJP rule
Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai celebrating his birthday at the sprawling SGPDA grounds on Sunday.
MARGAO
Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai on Sunday used the platform of his birthday celebration to call upon the people of Goa to remain “battle ready” for the upcoming Assembly elections and work towards uprooting the BJP government from the State.
Unveiling plans for a statewide yatra after Ganesh Chaturthi under the banner of “Operation Vijai”, Sardesai said the 2027 Assembly elections would be the “last war” that Goans would have to fight to save the State.
“The upcoming Assembly election will be the final battle that the people of Goa must wage to protect Goa and its identity,” Sardesai said while outlining the party’s plans to expose what he described as the BJP government’s misdeeds.
Although several speakers at the event urged the GFP chief to launch an independent movement against the BJP, Sardesai indicated that the regional party would not take any hasty decisions that could ultimately benefit the ruling party.
Referring to remarks made by Fr Alban, who had advised patience, Sardesai said the party would wait before taking a call on future political alignments. “Fr Alban has suggested patience. As a priest, he understands what is good for the State. We hope better sense prevails. We are prepared to wait for some time before making a decision. Unlike other non-BJP parties, we are not irresponsible,” he said.
Sardesai also criticised the principal Opposition party, accusing it of failing to effectively discharge its role. Referring to a recent citizens’ protest led by social activist Pratima Coutinho, he questioned the absence of the Congress. “The other day, we saw Pratima Coutinho leading citizens to the police station. Where was the principal Opposition party? It is because of this failure that civil society has been forced to take up issues affecting the State,” he said.
Taking an apparent swipe at the Congress leadership, Sardesai asserted that the people of Goa would be the “high command” in the future. He claimed that the Congress leadership at the national level had shown little interest in Goa because the State has only two Lok Sabha seats. “I was prepared to merge the Goa Forward Party with the Congress in the interests of Goa, but there has been no response from the Congress high command. When I was ready for an alliance in 2027, they wanted a merger. Now that I am willing to merge the regional party in the interest of unity, the Congress is talking about an alliance,” he said.
Reiterating the party’s slogan of “Goem, Goemkar ani Goemkarponn”, Sardesai urged people to transform it into a mass movement to protect Goa from what he described as destruction.
Terming the BJP government “anti-Goan”, he alleged that the people of Goa had suffered under a “corrupt and communal” administration for the past 15 years.
Meanwhile, GFP spokesperson Prashant Naik questioned who within the Congress was allegedly obstructing efforts towards opposition unity. “Today, GPCC president Girish Chodankar and Congress MLAs Altone D’Costa and Carlos Alvares Ferreira came to wish Sardesai. If these leaders support unity, then who within the Congress is opposing it?” Naik asked.
BJP MLA Michael Lobo was seen at the venue for some time to extend his birthday wishes to the Goa Forward chief. Fr Victor Ferrao, Fr Alban, Kiran Naik and others addressed the mega birthday celebrations.
