Team Herald
PANJIM: All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday clarified that no pre-poll alliance has been finalised with any like-minded political parties in Goa.
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When contacted, Rao told Herald that he is talking to many political parties, individuals and other groups so as to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (NJP) in the upcoming Goa Assembly elections but it should not construed that pre-poll alliance has been finalised with other parties.
“Lot of people are talking to us. We are also discussing with various political parties, individuals and groups. But till date nothing is finalised,” Rao said when it was brought to his notice that political parties in Goa were claiming that Congress had agreed for an alliance.
Earlier in the day, Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai had told media persons that Congress has agreed to have a pre-poll alliance with his party and that Rao had informed him two days ago that the alliance between the two parties has been approved by the Congress High Command and that they will now have to sit and decide modalities.
NCP had also claimed that it was likely to form an alliance with Congress, as talks between the senior leaders of both parties were at the final stage.
Benaulim NCP MLA Churchill Alemao had said, “I have been informed by the party chief Sharad Pawar and senior leader Praful Patil that NCP will have an alliance with Congress for next Assembly elections.” He added that NCP has demanded 12 seats and the final decision will be taken very soon.
Alemao and his daughter Valanka had visited the national capital, wherein they met and discussed the elections planning with Pawar and Patil.
Lone NCP MLA Alemao has given conditional support to the BJP government in Goa. “I have not joined the BJP and will never tie-up with BJP. My support to Dr Pramod Sawant is only pertaining to development works,” he stated.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar said that he has already conveyed his feelings on alliance to the high command. Also the GPCC had passed a resolution not to forge alliance with any political party.
