Team Herald
PANJIM: The earthquake that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced in the Delhi elections has led to tremors that are being felt by the party unit in Goa, where the party has two legislators in the 40-member Assembly. However, the party’s senior leadership seemed to admit that chances of a grand Opposition alliance were fading, though that door was not fully shut yet.
Aware that the jolt in Delhi may jeopardise the party’s future in Goa, AAP national executive member Durgesh Pathak and Goa in-charge Deepak Singla visited the state earlier this week to assess the party’s organisational efforts and conduct one-on-one meetings with state office-bearers, apart from taking stock of progress across all 40 constituencies.
Reiterating their stance on collaboration with like-minded parties to challenge the BJP, AAP State President Amit Palekar said: "The people of Goa are in favour of an alliance, but the leaders of some parties seem to be singing a different tune. Therefore, we are preparing independently. Our groundwork for the 2027 Assembly elections has begun, and when the time comes, we will consider alliances," he said.
Alliance or no, Palekar made it clear that preparations for the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections have already begun. “We have tasked party leaders with forming booth committees in all 40 constituencies, and local observers have been appointed to oversee the work,” he said.
Siddesh Bhagat, Vice President of AAP's National Youth Wing and chief spokesperson, said that AAP’s long-term goal is to stay connected with Goa's people. “Elections come and go, but we are here to address the real issues faced by the people of Goa."