the goan I network
MARGAO
Asserting that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was the B team of the BJP and the NCP as the pocket of the saffron party, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha on Monday urged the people of Goa not to vote for these two parties in the ensuing Zilla Panchayat polls.
The South Goa MP also pointed out that the Congress has not entered into an alliance with the MGP, but is supporting the regional party in certain constituencies to keep the BJP at bay.
Addressing the media on Monday, the MP requested the voters across South Goa, who had ensured his victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, to vote for the candidates fielded by the Congress party in the Zilla Panchayat election. “I expect the Congress candidates to win the election with the backing and support of the people,” he said, while assuring the voters that he would be with them to usher in the development of their constituencies.
Terming the AAP as the B team of the BJP, Sardinha said a vote for the AAP will only help the BJP come to power. And, he reiterated that NCP leaders in Goa are in the pocket of BJP and hence a vote for NCP will mean a vote of the BJP.
“In Maharashtra, the Congress and NCP are together in the government. But in Goa the NCP leaders are in the pocket of the BJP leadership,” he said, adding “in Delhi, the AAP might have retained power by defeating the BJP, but the situation is different in Goa.”
On the question of alliance with the MGP, Sardinha clarified that the Congress and MGP are not in any alliance to fight the coming poll, but hastened to add that the Congress will support the MGP candidates in certain seats where the regional party is in a better position to defeat the BJP.
“We will be supporting the MGP to defeat the BJP, which is our enemy,” he added.
To a question, he said the Congress party has no dearth of candidates to contest in all the 50 seats, adding that candidates should not be fielded just for the sake of fighting election, but to win.
Asked to comment on the Sancoale ticket fiasco, Sardinha said it was indeed unfortunate that the party could not field a candidate for the seat. When pointed out that the Congress in the past had faced a similar situation for the Cortalim Assembly seat, Sardinha said, ‘In the future, the Congress party will have to think thrice, not twice before zeroing in on candidates.”
When his attention was drawn to reports that the party has fielded a matka bookie in the election, Sardinha said, “If it is true then it is indeed unfortunate.” However, he hastened to add that matka bookies have become MLAs and ministers.
The MP directed his ire at the local BJP government for its empty promises on restarting mining and its failure to save Mhadei river.
On the communal violence in Delhi, Sardinha said the violence in the national capital was BJP sponsored as the police were used to perpetuate the crime.
Sardinha, however, said the BJP government at the Centre has put in place mechanism by creating awareness amongst the people on the coronavirus.
