Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday announced a robust slate of 42 candidates for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections in Goa, positioning the list as one of the most grassroots-driven and youth-centric the state has seen.
Addressing a press conference in Panjim, AAP State President Adv. Amit Palekar said the party had chosen “honest and accountable candidates rooted in their communities” and urged Goans to “ignore the political noise” and support “leaders who are among you and for you.”
He added that AAP’s candidates carry strong public trust and represent the clean politics that Goans are demanding.
Working President and National Spokesperson Valmiki Naik emphasised the youth-driven character of the candidate list, revealing that 70 per cent of AAP’s nominees are under the age of 35. He said these candidates were educated youth and community workers who had been active on the ground long before the elections were announced.
Taking a swipe at rival parties, Naik accused them of recycling old faces and engaging in political deal-making, while AAP was focused on nurturing a new generation of leadership.
He also reiterated allegations of coordination between the Congress and the BJP across multiple constituencies, pointing out that even Congress workers were now publicly flagging the “unofficial alliance.”
AAP General Secretary (Organisation) Shrikrishna Parab elaborated on what he described as clear instances of Congress–BJP collusion during seat allocations and campaign groundwork.
In Guirdolim, Parab said the Congress had fielded imported BJP leader Sanjay Velip, prompting Congress District Vice-President Gabriel Fernandes to reject the move and pledge support to AAP.
In Navelim, he noted that Congress had offered the ZP ticket to the daughter of BJP’s Michael Cardoz, while the Deputy Sarpanch of Telaulim—formerly a Congress worker—had declared support for AAP candidate Beatris D’Souza.
Parab further highlighted Curtorim, where Congress had fielded the daughter of Alexinho, a close aide of BJP-backed MLA Reginaldo and a known supporter of the BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate in the last general election.
In Mandrem, he said, a senior Congress leader had openly criticised Congress MLAs and AICC incharges for allegedly colluding with the BJP in North Goa.
“These incidents all point to the same truth—Congress is working hand in hand with the BJP,” Parab asserted, adding that only AAP was genuinely contesting the BJP at the grassroots level.
He urged voters to see through what he called a “hidden alliance” and choose a credible alternative capable of delivering transparent governance.
The party concluded by appealing to Goans to support its young, sincere and service-oriented candidates, asserting that a vote for AAP would strengthen the panchayat system and bring about meaningful change that prioritises people over politics.
