MARGAO
The first signs of Congress rank and file opposing any truck with the Aam Aadmi Party in Goa post-Delhi election came from Benaulim, the seat represented by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Captain Venzy Viegas.
While the top Goa Congress leadership maintained stoic silence on the political developments unfolding post-Delhi election, which saw a rout of Aam Aadmi Party, the Benaulim Block Congress Committee asserted that the Congress should not have any truck with AAP in Goa, exuding confidence that the Congress is capable of winning the election in Goa on its own strength.
In fact, a day after Aam Aadmi Party Goa chief Amit Palekar called for Opposition unity in Goa to dislodge the BJP, the Benaulim Congress point blank wondered why AAP wants an alliance with Congress in Goa when the party had shut doors for alliance in Delhi.
Benaulim Block Congress President Keith Gracias sought to remind the people of Goa that both Congress and AAP were part of the INDIA bloc, but blamed Arvind Kejriwal for going alone in the Delhi Assembly elections. “If there was no alliance between the Congress and AAP in the Delhi election, why is the AAP Goa president seeking an alliance with Congress in Goa”, he questioned.
“AAP had decided to go alone in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi in the Assembly elections, why does the party want an alliance with the Congress in Goa, just to eat into the Congress vote”, he further questioned.
Solan Furtado said the BJP has come to power in Delhi because of the selfish politics of the Aam Aadmi Party. “AAP decided to go alone and the results are there for all to see. Besides, we have observed that AAP has been targeting only the Congress across India, including Goa. We have not seen AAP going into the States were other Opposition parties have a base”, he added.
Another Congress leader pointed out that AAP’s game plan is clear that the party wants to finish Congress so that the BJP can win. “We can see that Congress has a base in Goa, especially in South Goa and in Benaulim. In such a situation, why should the Congress leave the Benaulim seat or other seats to AAP in the election? The Congress should field their candidates in the seats which has been the party’s bastion”, the leaders added.
