Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: In a significant political development, the state’s oldest regional political front- Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) today decided to forge a pre-poll alliance with the Mamata Banerjee led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the upcoming 2022 elections, due within two months.
The MGP Central committee that met today under the chairmanship of Deepak Dhavalikar unanimously resolved to join hands with TMC. The party claimed that TMC has agreed in principle to share 13 seats with MGP.
Addressing a press conference after the central committee meeting, Dhavalikar said that the decision to ally with TMC has been taken in Goa and Goans’ interest.
He said that the preliminary talks on alliance have concluded and if all conditions are agreed upon by TMC, then both the parties will officially come together during Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Goa on December 13.
“With this alliance, more parties are likely to join hands with us,” he said, adding that parties like Aam Aadmi and Shiv Sena might come on board.
Dhavalikar said that the party was in talks with Congress, AAP and TMC for an alliance and finally decided to go with TMC since they agreed to all our conditions.
“The alliance was need of the hour to keep BJP and Congress out of power,” he said.
He said there was a perception that BJP is their
natural ally.
“We can’t go with any other party. However, we were in talks with all other parties except BJP”, Dhavalikar said.
He charged the BJP with trying to poach MGP and Goa Forward candidates.
“Though TMC is a new party, our own survey has shown that TMC’s acceptance is growing in the State,” he said.
When asked who is going to be the alliance CM candidate, Dhavalikar said that the decision will be taken by January 15, next month.
MGP has been part of the government since 2007 when it first fought election in alliance with Congress. Then in 2012, the party joined hands with BJP and formed a complete majority government.
Just before polls in 2017, MGP withdrew its support to BJP and went independent. However, post-elections, it extended support to then CM late Manohar Parrikar to form the government.
MGP withdrew support to BJP in 2020, after two of their MLAs joined BJP and their leader Sudin Dhavalikar was dropped from the cabinet.