Team Herald
VASCO: Claiming that the Nationalist Congress Party will win two-three seats of total 16 seats it contested in the recently concluded Assembly elections, the party’s Goa state chief Jose Philip D’Souza said that under no circumstances the party will support BJP or MGP to form the next government in state.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, D’Souza said, “In the 2012 Assembly polls it was due to anti-Congress wave that reflected in elections, similarly this time it was anti BJP wave that would be clearly seen from the results. With regards to NCP, we had contested 16 seats of which we are confident that the party will win two-three seats including Vasco, Benaulim and Nuvem”.
He said, “Actually while campaigning for the elections we realized that people are anxiously waiting for the polls only to throw BJP out of power and to remove their frustration on BJP which only took U-turns on all its promises in last five years. This was also proved by the higher voter turnout during the poll.”
When asked as to who will NCP support in case of a hung Assembly, he said, “We have decided that leaving BJP and MGP aside, NCP will extend its support to any other secular force that intends to form the next government in state.”
Commenting on differences between NCP and Congress over the alliance proposal which was rejected by Congress at the last moment, D’Souza said, “It is true that NCP was waiting for an alliance with Congress. However, we are not aware as to why Congress took the decision on not to have alliance at last moment. This decision of Congress was actually a setback for us, as we were waiting for Congress to take a decision and in the bargain; we did made any commitment to aspirants for party ticket. Some of them even left NCP and joined other party. However, it’s past now and we are confident that NCP will win two-three seats and will be part of next government that would be formed only by secular forces.”
