Team Herald
PANJIM: Taking on All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary and Goa in-charge Anjali Nimbalkar, Aam Aadmi Party state chief Amit Palekar said that the Congress Goa unit should either merge with the BJP or not fight elections at all, since their MLAs had a history of defecting to the BJP.
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Palekar’s comments came hours after Nimbalkar warned AAP and Trinamool Congress (TMC) for jeopardising Congress chances in 2022 polls and claimed that people of Goa will support Congress in 2027 Assembly elections.
Palekar’s riposte came hours later on his X handle, where he said: “Going by your logic @DrAnjaliTai, @INCGoa should either merge with @BJP4Goa or should not contest elections in Goa at all as twice your elected MLAs along with Leader of the Opposition ditched Goan voters, even gods and your party and defected to BJP. Your remaining MLAs have indicated with their recent statements that they are on the way to BJP. So best is you ally with BJP right now and merge Goa Congress with @BJP4India.”
The latest face-off between the two Opposition parties comes just over a week after AAP leader and Delhi Leader of the Opposition Atishi slammed the Congress on a Goa visit and stressed that the party was planning to go it alone in the elections.
“What does alliance with the Congress mean?” Atishi had asked. “Last Assembly elections (2022) they won 11 seats and eight of their MLAs joined the BJP. How can anyone trust the Congress? People are talking about the coming together of like-minded parties. Who are you like-minded with? 80 per cent of their MLAs leave and this is happening for the second time.”
On Friday, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a party’s function in Panjim, Nimbalkar said, “I am here (Goa) to strengthen my party organisation. If somebody feels shaken by my presence then it is their problem. They should work for their organisation. My High Command will decide how to win the 2027 Goa Assembly elections and I am visiting every constituency in this regard.” However, she left the question of an Opposition alliance to the party High Command.
