NEW DELHI/Goa, 14 Sep
Goa’s voters, who have repeatedly felt let down by both the Congress and BJP, now have a third political alternative in the form of the ‘Goa First Alliance’. Ahead of the upcoming Goa Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal announced an alliance between the AAP and the Goa Forward Party (GFP), led by Vijai Sardesai.
Kejriwal described the ‘Goa First Alliance’ as a strong non-BJP, non-Congress alternative and said its formation marked a “new beginning” in Goa’s politics. He said the alliance aims to prevent voters from being “betrayed” again, referring to political developments following the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections.
Addressing a joint press conference with GFP chief Vijai Sardesai at Abolim Hall, Kejriwal said the alliance was being announced on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.
He said Goa’s people had been left with no genuine political alternative for years, forcing them to choose between Congress and BJP. According to Kejriwal, voters backed Congress in 2017 in an attempt to defeat the BJP, but Congress MLAs later switched sides, enabling the BJP to form the government. He alleged that a similar situation unfolded after the 2022 elections.
Kejriwal claimed that voters had therefore been disappointed twice and were now looking for a credible third option. He alleged that despite the political rivalry displayed by the BJP and Congress during elections, the two parties often cooperate after the polls.
Taking aim at the state government, the AAP leader alleged that Goa was witnessing a “money and mafia raj”, claiming that builders and contractors had gained excessive influence across different sectors. He contrasted this with his alliance’s “Goa First” approach, saying its priority would be the interests of the people rather than political or financial considerations.
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Kejriwal further claimed that the BJP would not secure a majority on its own in the upcoming election and alleged that several Congress legislators who win could eventually join the BJP. He said the Goa First Alliance had been created specifically to prevent such a post-election scenario.
Calling the alliance an “honest” and non-BJP, non-Congress alternative, Kejriwal expressed confidence that it would win enough seats to form a government with a full majority.
He said the alliance would remain committed to the people of Goa and urged voters who were dissatisfied with both the BJP and Congress to support the ‘Goa First Alliance’.
