*Palekar says lack of clarity, delayed candidate lists and infighting among partners made GOA alliance ‘impractical’ ahead of ZP polls
Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday squarely blamed the Congress for pushing the much-talked-about alliance of like-minded opposition parties into disarray, barely two weeks before the high-stakes Zilla Panchayat elections.
AAP Goa chief Amit Palekar said his party had intentionally kept its distance from the proposed Goa Opposition Alliance (GOA), arguing that the coalition never took proper shape and remained “impractical” and “poorly planned” from the start.
The Congress, Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) had floated the idea of forming a united front for the December 20 polls, but no formal declaration has been made even as the election draws close. Palekar criticised the Congress for its slow response and for failing to finalise its candidates, despite Goa having 50 Zilla Panchayat seats and polling day approaching rapidly.
Highlighting internal contradictions, he said that alliance partners GFP and RGP have fielded candidates against each other in constituencies such as Shiroda in South Goa — a sign, he claimed, that the bloc lacked seriousness and coordination. The RGP’s list released on Thursday includes a candidate in Shiroda, where GFP is already actively campaigning.
Palekar said this confusion reaffirmed AAP’s decision to contest independently. He said AAP has already named its candidates and will extend support to select Independent contenders in areas where it is not contesting, with the broader objective of challenging the BJP’s dominance.
According to him, Goans are eager to vote out the BJP but have little faith in an alliance that appears disorganised and directionless.
AAP SAYS CONGRESS RUINED OPPOSITION ALLIANCE BEFORE ZP POLLS
NO FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF GOA ALLIANCE EVEN WITH 14 DAYS LEFT
CONGRESS YET TO DECLARE FULL LIST OF CANDIDATES
AAP CALLS GOA ALLIANCE “UNREALISTIC AND UNPREPARED”
AAP TO CONTEST ALONE; WILL SUPPORT SOME INDEPENDENTS
PALEKAR SAYS GOANS WANT BJP DEFEATED BUT DON’T TRUST GOA ALLIANCE
