Rules out alliance with Congress
Margao: In a blow to the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in Goa, senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former chief minister of Delhi Atishi on Monday announced that AAP will contest the next state assembly elections, zilla panchayat elections and municipality polls in the state on its own.
Addressing the media, the AAP leader said the party has already started preparations for the upcoming elections, starting with the zilla panchayat polls.
Stating that the people of Goa reposed faith in AAP in 2022 and elected two MLAs from the Benaulim and Velim constituencies apart from also electing Joseph Pimenta as zilla panchayat member from Benaulim in by-election, Atishi said the party is feeling confident ahead of the forthcoming elections in the state.
“There is no doubt that the presence and performance of AAP in Goa will be better this time and it will translate into winning more seats at the assembly elections,” Atishi said.
Attacking Congress, she said the party leaders cannot be trusted, as they switch sides after winning an election. Mocking Congress, she said the party had 11 legislators of which eight have joined BJP in Goa.
“It is not for the first time that the Congress has betrayed the people of Goa. In the previous government also, last time also, I think there was only one MLA left. All of them went to the BJP. So, how can the Congress party or their leadership or their MLAs even be trusted with an alliance? Goans vote for Congress and they join BJP unlike the AAP MLAs, who have worked for people of their respective constituencies,” Atishi said.
“AAP MLA’s have been the voice of people in the assembly,” Atishi said.
Taking a dig at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the AAP leader said it was for everyone to see how the government was out to plunder the state with a former BJP MLA himself exposing the party’s government.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva, Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas and AAP’s Goa president Amit Palekar were present during Atishi’s address to the media.
