PANAJI: Goa's Aam Aadmi Party today voted in favour of Congress MLA Altone D’Costa in the election for Assembly Speaker but declared that it would no longer share any platform with the Congress in the State.
AAP MLAs Cruz Silva and Venzy Viegas said the decision to support Congress was based on a prior commitment, but accused the party of betraying the INDIA bloc by siding with the BJP in the recent Delhi elections.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva recalled that AAP had earlier backed Congress in the State’s Madhya Pradesh elections to uphold the Constitution and democracy. However, he said the recent admission by Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav, that Congress contested to defeat senior AAP leaders and celebrated their loss, exposed Congress’ real intent.
“Congress’ actions of helping the BJP in Delhi mark the end of any possible shared platform or alliance,” Silva said.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas echoed the sentiment, asserting that AAP would never backstab. “As a mark of protest, we will no longer share platforms with Congress in the state. Yet today we voted for Altone D’Costa because we keep our word. Goans should know sincerity and accountability matter,” he said.
Both MLAs stated that AAP’s priority remains protecting the people’s mandate and being the voice of Goans, while distancing themselves from Congress, which they accused of repeatedly betraying the State.
