PANAJI
The political buzz surrounding the newly floated Goa Congress Party, which has applied for registration with the Election Commission of India (ECI), gathered momentum on Monday after the outfit launched its official Instagram account, signalling its intent to establish a public presence ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The party's Instagram handle, @goacongressparty, has gone live and describes itself as a "Political Organisation". While the account is yet to publish any posts, it had garnered over 50 followers within hours of its launch and is not following any other accounts.
The social media debut comes just days after the outfit issued a public notice as part of the mandatory process for registration with the ECI, a move that has intensified speculation over its political plans and the possibility of a split in the Congress vote base in Goa.
Reacting to the development, Goa BJP president Damu Naik said every political party begins on a small scale and should not be underestimated.
"The Goa Congress Party may win a few seats. Every political party is new and small in the beginning. Even the BJP started as a small party and grew with the love and support of the people," Naik said.
Drawing parallels with other regional and national parties, he said the Aam Aadmi Party entered Goa politics and won two Assembly seats, while the Revolutionary Goans Party secured one seat and could either expand or fade over time.
"Today, the BJP has over 14 crore members. We cannot treat any political party as insignificant," he said.
Naik also dismissed allegations that the BJP was spending Rs 100 crore to engineer the formation of the new outfit to weaken the Congress.
"We would rather spend that money on welfare schemes for the people than on creating a political party for elections," he said.
