Panaji: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Girish Chodankar on Saturday said that if all the “serious opposition political parties” come together in the coastal state for the upcoming Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party would be reduced to only five seats.
Chodankar told GNH during the ongoing “Goy Rakhonn Yatra” (Save Goa Campaign) that the opposition political parties should be serious about defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state.
“If all the serious opposition political parties come together, then the BJP will be reduced to only five seats in the 40-seat Assembly,” the Congress leader said, adding that his party has already begun the process of bringing together the opposition political parties in the coastal state.
Chodankar said that they have already announced their alliance with the regional political outfit Revolutionary Goans Party, with whom they will fight the election together.
When asked about former Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai-led Goa Forward Party, he said that the party has already formed an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party.
“They have formed a non-Congress alliance and have put up hoardings falsely targeting Congress over the defections. How can we have talks with the Goa Forward Party until the hoardings are pulled down or the video campaign targeting Congress on their social media handles is deleted?” he questioned.
Chodankar said that, as far as AAP is concerned, its intention to defeat the BJP appears doubtful, considering the recent instances in states like Haryana.
He said that the Congress party in Goa is contesting the election with the sole aim of forming the next government. He added that teams from the party that worked in other states are monitoring the campaign in Goa.
Speaking about the Goy Rakhonn Yatra, he said that senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, are expected to visit the state. The yatra will culminate on October 18. Chodankar said that the exact dates of their arrival have not yet been confirmed.
