PANAJI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Goa has mocked the INDIA bloc following simmering political rivalry between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, ahead of the parliamentary elections.
At a press conference on Wednesday, BJP spokesperson Giriraj Pai Vernekar took aim at AAP’s "obsession with blaming others" while also pointing out Congress' "near end in politics".
“INDIA alliance is not united anymore. It has seen a split in many states and the latest one is in Goa. Both party presidents in Goa Amit Palekar (AAP) and Amit Patkar (Congress) are speaking way apart,” he said while addressing the press briefing at BJP headquarters in Panaji.
Vernekar’s statement comes a day after AAP declared its Lok Sabha candidate, Venzy Veigas, for South Goa with Congress “ shocked by the announcement - maintaining it will go solo.
The BJP further took a dig at the two opposition parties citing their "unstable political history". “AAP has a habit of flip-flops and holding dharnas. They make empty promises and then cry (blaming others over non-fulfilment of the promises made),” Vernekar alleged.
He also suspected AAP’s intention in declaring its candidate for only one district, much ahead than other parties or declaration of code of conduct.
“Is it for money? Or for some kind of setting wherein AAP will back out? Will it compromise later because of which they announced their candidate for South Goa so early?” the spokesperson stated while adding that the party headed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has indulged in a series of allegations and blame-game followed by public apologies.
Vernekar went on to take a dig at the Congress stating that even its senior leader Sonia Gandhi lost trust in the party’s revival or success by deciding to shift to Rajya Sabha. She filed her nomination papers from Jaipur on Wednesday, ending her 25-year stint as Lok Sabha MP.
The party also did not spare South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha claiming he should present his report card for the last five years.
The BJP is rejoicing the fall-out of the INDIA alliance as the rift over seat sharing between Congress and AAP was wide open during Kejriwal’s visit to Goa in January. While Kejriwal had announced that it would contest one seat from Goa in alliance with Congress, the latter confronted it stating that the party would go solo and contest both seats.
