With the 2027 Goa Assembly elections drawing closer, Goa Forward Party (GFP) president Vijai Sardesai needs to make his political position clear. At present, there are conflicting signals about whether the party remains firmly within the AAP-led ‘Goa First’ alliance or is preparing to join hands with the Congress-led opposition alliance. On September 13, GFP and AAP formally announced ‘Goa First’ as a non-BJP, non-Congress pre-poll alliance. But within weeks, GFP leaders started signalling that a broader opposition arrangement, including Congress, could still be considered. Congress, for its part, has made it clear that its doors remain open to GFP and other parties seeking to defeat the BJP. The anti-defection banners associated with the Goa First alliance were removed, with a promise that they would be replaced with banners reflecting what people want. GFP and Congress share several ideological similarities. If Sardesai is seriously considering a Congress-led opposition platform, his absence, along with that of his supporters, from the ‘Goy Rakhonn Yatra’ when it passed through his own Fatorda constituency is difficult to ignore. Vijai needs to take a call. Earlier the better for the party.
ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
