PANJIM: National heavyweights from the BJP, Congress, and AAP are descending upon Goa as major political parties aggressively kickstart their organisational machinery ahead of the February 2027 Assembly elections.
With top brass from across the spectrum scheduled for high-profile visits, the State is bracing for an intense, early political campaign focused on grassroots mobilisation and strategic opposition alliances.
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Though the term of the current Assembly ends on March 14, 2027, the next Goa Assembly elections are expected to be held in February 2027, according to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin had already visited Goa and held meetings with the State leadership, MLAs and party workers, focusing on booth-level strengthening and preparations for the elections. The BJP has set an ambitious target of winning 30 of the State’s 40 Assembly seats.
The Congress is also preparing for a high-profile visit by AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, who will arrive in the State on August 17 where he will address booth-level workers, block committees, frontal organisations and district and State office-bearers at Verna, as part of the party’s efforts to strengthen its organisational machinery from the grassroots upwards. This will be Kharge’s maiden visit to the State since taking over as the Congress president.
Earlier, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal visited the State last month, reportedly to diffuse the unrest within the organisation following the appointment of Girish Chodankar as the GPCC president. During his visit, Venugopal held political affairs committee meetings and discussed the party’s election roadmap, campaign strategy and outreach plans. He also disclosed that the party is exploring all possibilities to dethrone the BJP in the State.
The Congress Party has also announced ‘Goem Rakhon Yatra’ across the State starting September 22. This yatra aims to convince the people of Goa how the ruling BJP has pushed youth into unemployment and ruined the State by selling land, jobs and undermining democracy.
GPCC senior working president M K Shaikh said the party is concentrating on rebuilding and strengthening its organisational machinery ahead of the elections. He expressed confidence that Kharge’s visit would galvanise the party workers and give the election preparations a fresh boost. Shaikh also indicated that several prominent political leaders are likely to join the Congress in the coming days.
The ruling BJP appears to be working with a well-coordinated strategy. According to former MLA and party’s general secretary Sidharth Kuncalienkar, preparations for the next elections have already started.
“Party national general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh has been regularly visiting the State and has so far visited on three occasions to discuss election-related matters. He is expected to visit again next month,” Kuncalienkar said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also arriving in the State on a two-day visit on September 6. During his visit, he will inaugurate the party’s new headquarters built on the outskirts of Panjim and then attend a ceremony to present the President of India’s Police Colours to the Goa Police.
The BJP has also planned a month-long outreach programme focusing on direct interaction and strengthening its connect with people in communities across the State.
Meanwhile, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has intensified his visit to Goa as the party seeks to strengthen its organisation and explore an alliance with Opposition parties ahead of the upcoming polls.
Kejriwal has already given a clarion call to Goans and all Parties to unite and defeat the BJP and scrap the controversial Section 39A of the TCP Act.
The expected arrival of senior national leaders from all three parties is likely to further heat up Goa’s political atmosphere, with local issues, alliances, candidates and the performance of the BJP-led government expected to dominate the election discourse.
