PANAJI:
The Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) has decided not to contest the upcoming Ponda by-election and will instead support the Congress candidate, Ketan Bhatikar, in a move aimed at consolidating anti-BJP votes.
RGP chief Manoj Parab said the decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC). He clarified that the Congress had not approached the RGP for an alliance or held any discussions before announcing its candidate.
Despite this, Parab stressed that the need for opposition unity to defeat the BJP outweighed internal differences. “We have decided to support the Congress in the larger interest of defeating the BJP, even though many party members are unhappy,” he said.
Ponda by-polls are scheduled on April 9.
Parab also noted that the RGP considers Ponda a stronghold, and the decision not to contest has not been easy. The party had put up a notable performance in the 2022 Assembly elections, where its candidate Sanish Tilve secured 1,777 votes, accounting for nearly 7 per cent vote share.
The previous performance has strengthened voices within the party advocating an independent contest. However, the leadership has opted for a strategic withdrawal this time, hoping to present a united opposition front.
On the other hand, BJP has fielded Ritesh Naik, son of former Minister late Ravi Naik, while AAP has nominated Geepesh Naik. All the candidates are set to file their nominations on Monday.
