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Congress shows willingness to enter into ‘like-minded’ alliances in Goa ahead of polls
Besides the Congress which is seeking to regain its lost glory, Goa’s electoral fray has seen the re-entry of the Trinamool Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party which established its presence in Goa since 2014 as well as local parties the Goa Forward Party, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and other regional activist collectives which have already announced they will contest the polls.
The Congress on Sunday announced its intention to align with like-minded parties ahead of the upcoming polls with AICC observer Dinesh Gundu Rao saying that the High Command has given the state leadership the green light to begin negotiating with “like-minded” parties ahead of the polls.
“We are willing to come together with like-minded people and parties who hold secular principles, who have been in Goa for a long time. We are willing to talk and have been talking. In the interest of Goa we are ready for this,” Rao told the media on Sunday.
“The High Command has given us the mandate. At the last meeting we held in Delhi the message was given by the high command -- including Chidambaram, myself, all leaders were there -- and that was the mandate given. We are in talks and it should be in the interest of Goa and to give a stable government,” Rao added.
Rao said that the party was now fighting a two-front war against two forces.
“There are two forces working -- one force is the fascist force of the BJP which wants to completely control this country and keep everything under its command and using the power of money and using the power they are trying to create an authoritarian state. The second thing that is happening in Goa is parties which are operating here to ensure that the BJP wins,” he said.
“They are not working here to see that they win or that the secular front wins. They are here to ensure that the BJP gains an upper hand. Today the anti-BJP vote because there is huge anti-incumbency against this government and people want to see that the BJP loses the polls in Goa. But there are forces in collusion with various other forces which are again trying to destabilise this and divide this vote. That is what Goa people should be very careful and aware about,” he said.
When asked whether he was referring to the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, Rao said: “100%”.
“Trinamool, AAP have the same agenda. These parties are offering money. Where is this money coming from? And what kind of government can these people give when they are trying to purchase ... they don’t have their own workers; they don’t have their own leaders. They are trying to hire, purchase, and auction. More and more the price is going up. They will completely destroy Goa,” he said.
“We cannot have this situation again where instability leads to corruption. To form a government if you are basing it on corruption, then the government itself will become corrupt later. That is the way this government has been formed,” Rao further said.
Asked if the Congress was worried about a possible splintering of the non-BJP vote, Rao said there was nothing to be afraid of.
“There is nothing to be scared of, you fight elections, you win elections, and you lose elections. This is nobody’s personal property. But come in a healthy manner. You can’t come and say I will make you CM face, I will make you MLA, I will give you so much money. This is inducement. What kind of government you will give when you are doing this kind of politics even before becoming anything,” he said.
“This is being backed by people who want to weaken the secular front. This is being done by people ultimately wanting to see that the secular forces are divided. There is a big conspiracy here. Not only here in Goa but across the country to see that if Congress is weakened, it can become one authoritarian state in this country. That is the politics being played across the country,” he added.
Besides the Congress which is seeking to regain its lost glory, Goa’s electoral fray has seen the re-entry of the Trinamool Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party which established its presence in Goa since 2014 as well as local parties the Goa Forward Party, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and other regional activist collectives which have already announced they will contest the polls.
The Goa Forward Party has been very publicly angling for an alliance with the Congress arguing that only a ‘team’ effort which provides a clear alternative to the BJP will ensure the defeat of the BJP.
The Congress on the other had has until now given no indication that it was eager for an alliance with state Congress president Girish Chodankar taunting the Goa Forward’s Vijai Sardesai that he should have shown such enthusiasm to align with the Congress back in 2017 when the party emerged as the single largest party.
