VITHALDAS HEGDE
vhegde3@herald-goa.com
COLVA: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will go it alone in Goa. That was the clear message from Delhi Leader of the Opposition Atishi during her day-long visit to Goa on Monday.
According to the senior party leader, AAP’s plan to go solo is not only for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat (ZP) polls and the municipal council elections, but also for the 2027 Assembly elections.
"Aam Aadmi Party is gearing up to contest on its own. We will contest the ZP elections on our own, as also the municipal elections. Even for the Goa Assembly polls, AAP is preparing to fight alone,” Atishi, who was in Goa to inaugurate the South Goa party office, told O Heraldo in an exclusive interview at Colva.
With this announcement, the path ahead for the Opposition parties in the State has got even more tortuous.
“What does alliance with the Congress mean?” Atishi shot back, when asked about the GOP, with whom AAP had an understanding for the Lok Sabha elections and also for the ZP bypolls Benaulim in 2024. “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 of 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," Atishi pointed out, ruling out any discussion, for now, on consolidation of Opposition votes for the 2027 State elections.
Atishi alleged that the BJP had not fulfilled its Delhi elections promise of providing Rs 2,500 per month to the women of Delhi. “The Prime Minister had assured Delhi voters that on the International Women’s Day (March 8), all women will get the first instalment in their bank account. Forget the first instalment, even the registration for the scheme has even not started. It goes to show that it was a false promise,” she claimed, adding that AAP had shown that it can run a government that delivers.
The senior party leader was in Goa to inaugurate AAP’s second office in the State, in South Goa on Monday evening, in a clear indication that the party is gearing up for the upcoming elections. Atishi also reiterated that the party has been working hard, strengthening its grassroot organisation level. She also praised the work being done by the AAP’s two MLAs Benaulim Zilla Panchayat (ZP) members, AAP Goa President and other office bearers in
the State.