The Aam Aadmi Party and the Goa-based Goa Forward Party on Sunday formally announced that they will be contesting the upcoming Goa Assembly elections in an alliance called ‘Goa First.’
Former Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said the alliance was necessary. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)
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Former Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who addressed a joint press conference with Goa Forward Party supremo Vijai Sardesai, said the alliance was necessary since “the people of Goa have been deceived twice and are not in a mood to be deceived again”.
“Till now the people did not have an option apart from the Congress and the BJP. This is the first time the people will have ‘Goa First’ as an option, which is a non-BJP, non-Congress alliance, a formidable alliance,” Kejriwal added.
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Sardesai said the alliance is of like-minded parties that wish to defeat the BJP. “This alliance is an alternative to a government that is without ideology, a government that is made up of defectors,” Sardesai said.
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Sardesai said the alliance is of like-minded parties that wish to defeat the BJP. “This alliance is an alternative to a government that is without ideology, a government that is made up of defectors,” Sardesai said.
In the 2022 Goa assembly elections, the AAP won 6.77% of the vote and two seats while the Goa Forward Party had a vote share of .78% with Vijai Sardesai being the party’s lone MLA elected. Goa’s 40 member Assembly is expected to go to the polls in early 2027.
Goa BJP spokesperson Shripad Naik called it an opportunistic alliance. “They may have come together under a new banner, but Goans have seen this political drama before”.
State Congress president Girish Chodankar said, “Our message is very clear. Goa cannot afford another divided opposition. Every vote that wants to defeat the BJP must count.”
Gerard de Souza is a Special Correspondent based in Goa and has been reporting on and about issues concerning the state and the wider western coast of India for over 18 years. His wide range of stories covers politics, crime, environment and tourism-related concerns emerging from India’s smallest state. Born and brought up in Goa, he has a deep understanding of the former Portuguese enclave’s evolution from a laidback collection of idyllic villages that first drew flower power generation of counter culture enthusiasts to its shores to one that has become synonymous in Indian popular culture with an aspirational holiday, seeing the best (and worst) that holidayers have to offer. He also keenly follows criminal trials. Most notably, he covered the trial surrounding the killing of Scarlett Keeling, a British teenager found dead on Anjuna beach, and that of Danielle McLaughlin similarly killed in south Goa, among others. He authored the book ‘Crimes of Passion: When Desire Turns Deadly,’ chronicling cases of romance turning to rage and murder. A graduate of Goa University, he learnt the trade on the job and has experience on both the reporting and editorial sides of the profession. When not sniffing around for a worthy headline, he likes to spend time outdoors to help ensure his heart is always in the right place.
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Home/India News/AAP, Goa Forward Party announce ‘Goa First’ alliance for 2027 assembly polls
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