MARGAO
A day after anti-coal protesters resolved to play a strategic role in the ensuing Municipal polls to checkmate the BJP, the main opposition party and the Goa Forward Party have in principle agreed to bring all the opposition groups under a banner to defeat the ruling party in the civic elections.
Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat and Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai sent out a clear message on Thursday that the Opposition will come together to defeat the BJP in the coming husting.
In fact, the Opposition Leader said that the Congress and the Goa Forward may continue with the same formula wherein the two parties had forged an alliance in the 2015 polls for the Margao civic body.
The duo has virtually welcomed the decision of the NGOs to work in their own way to ensure the defeat of the ruling party.
When his attention was drawn to the decision of the anti-coal protesters to work strategically to defeat the candidates fielded by the BJP, the Opposition leader welcomed the move, while stressing on the need for all the opposition groups to unite and defeat the forces working against the interests of the people of Goa.
Saying that the party leadership has given its go-ahead signal for the local party leaders to enter into alliances at the local level to defeat the BJP, Kamat said the Congress will have these tie-ups in all the Municipal areas of the State. “As far as Margao Municipality is concerned, I had recently said that the Congress and the Goa Forward will come to an understanding to fight the BJP. We will follow the same formulae as was adopted in the 2015 Municipal election,” he added.
The Goa Forward chief told the media that the regional party will lend its ears to the calls for opposition unity to checkmate the BJP. “I have come across prominent activists making an appeal to the political parties to unite against the BJP. My party will certainly pay heed to these appeal with a one-point program to defeat the BJP,” he asserted.
Sardesai recalled the recent statements made by Leader of the Opposition, Digambar Kamat that the Congress will take everybody along in the fight against the ruling party. “In principle, I feel that the alliances and understanding will happen in the ensuing election. The Congress is a grand old party and they have a system which they have to follow. But, I am confident that the main opposition party will come clear on the popular sentiments of Goans to come together to defeat the BJP,” Sardesai said.
