NT Reporter
Margao
Political circles are abuzz over the possibility of a Congress-Goa Forward Party (GFP) alliance ahead of the Assembly elections, with Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Girish Chodankar expressing his intent to enter the electoral fray.
Speaking to a section of the media on Friday, Chodankar said he wished to contest the elections, but stopped short of disclosing the constituency from which he plans
to seek election.
His statement has sparked widespread discussion within political circles and among supporters of both the Congress and its potential
alliance partners.
The speculation gained further traction on Saturday when GFP president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai visited Gogol to greet Chodankar on his birthday.
Sardesai said Chodankar was free to contest the elections and should choose the constituency he considered appropriate.
“I wish a good and healthy life on the occasion of his birthday. We have a good relation and he has said he will contest the elections. So we appeal to him to decide where he will contest and take the next step in this direction soon,” Sardesai said.
However, Sardesai said no talks had so far been held between the Congress and GFP on a possible
pre-poll alliance.
The meeting between the two leaders, nevertheless, projected a cordial equation between them even as uncertainty persists over the contours of any electoral understanding between the two parties.
Sardesai said he and Chodankar belonged to the same constituency, but added that they had not discussed an alliance or any election-related issue during the meeting.
“Congress is an old party and takes time. But they will have to take a fast step this time and take decisions quickly. People want BJP to go, and collectively we have to work for this wish. No party can ignore this,” Sardesai said.
Chodankar, meanwhile, made it clear that he favoured continuing the existing alliance, while also leaving the door open for bringing other parties into the fold.
“We would want our current alliance to continue and it needs to continue, this is also what Goa wants. By us uniting, it will be very difficult for the BJP to touch double digits and that is the people’s wish also. We want to fight this election together. We will start our discussions on the alliance soon. We already have an alliance, but we will have to talk with other parties about forming an alliance as well. Other issues will also be discussed. The party will eventually decide which constituencies to contest. Our work is going on at every level,” Chodankar said.
With the Assembly elections drawing closer, the absence of formal talks on an alliance or seat-sharing has kept the political grapevine active, with the statements of the two leaders adding further fuel to speculation over the shape of the Opposition’s
electoral strategy.
