Team Herald
Panjim: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress party in Goa is on a mission to unite all anti-BJP forces to defeat the saffron party in the upcoming elections.
In a bid to have a consensus candidate against BJP in North and South Goa, the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar has held a meeting with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Goencho Avaz and Dakshinayan, who has allied with UGDP.
However, AAP has already announced their candidate Pradeep Padgaonkar in North and Elvis Gomes in South. Speaking to HERALD, Chodankar said that he has begun talks with all those anti-BJP forces that are willing to contribute to the defeat of the BJP in the upcoming elections.
“The current wave is against BJP. The mood of people is to defeat BJP. Hence, we have taken the initiative to get all the anti-BJP forces together and field common candidates for Lok Sabha,” he said.
“Despite that if some party wants to go ahead and field candidates, then it will give us a clear picture as who is working for BJP to divide votes,” Chodankar said responding to a question that AAP has already announced its candidates.
“Yes, AAP has announced their candidates…but still we are in talks with them and hopeful that we will be successful in convincing them. If still they don’t agree then it is for the people to judge,” he stated.
The Lok Sabha elections are due in April. Currently BJP is ruling both North and South Goa seats.
Chodankar said that two aspirants from North and three from South Goa have expressed their desire to contest the LS polls. In North, the candidature forms are filled by district president Vaishali Shetgaonkar and vice president Anant Sinai Pissurelkar.
