Panaji: which is contesting both the Parliamentary seats in Goa, is largely banking on the first-time voters for support.
AAP’s North Goa seat contestant Pradeep Padgaonkar Saturday said the response from the first-time voters has been tremendous as they find the party’s policies in sync with their way of thinking.
“The first-time voters are getting attracted to the AAP in a big way. They find the party in sync with their thoughts. Even the old voters find hope in the AAP because of its policies,” the journalist-turned-politician said.
Padgaonkar is pitted against BJP’s Shripad Naik and Congress’ Girish Chodankar and others.
Naik is Union minister for Ayush and a four-time MP from North Goa constituency.
“After speaking to voters, I realised that the MP (Naik) has done nothing for voters. They are fed up with him,” Padgaonkar said. “People claim that Naik hasn’t done anything for them, but only created crematorium to take care of them after their death. They don’t know where the MPLAD funds have gone,” Padgaokar said.
He said Congress candidate Girish Chodankar is considered an “outsider” as he does not live in North Goa.
“Moreover, people don’t see any hope in Congress as their own MLAs are deserting the party,” Padgaonkar claimed.
According to him, the AAP was receiving good response from the people, although it does not have a base in the constituency.
“I am confident that I will win the election. We are contesting to win in both the Parliamentary seats,” he said.
Padgaokar said AAP’s vote share in Goa has been on the rise. “In the 2014 Parliamentary election, AAP had secured 11,000 votes and their voter base increased in the district to 25,000 in the 2017 Assembly elections. This time, the share will increase threefold,” he expressed confidence.
