Team Goemkarponn
FATORDA: Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai has hit back at those seeking to pressure him into alliance negotiations, asserting that threats or attempts to create fear will not force him to return to the negotiating table.
Sardesai said he respects the growing sentiment among people in Goa that non-BJP parties should unite to challenge the BJP in the 2027 Assembly elections. However, he maintained that any alliance must be discussed on the basis of mutual respect and cannot be imposed through pressure.
Recalling the 2012 Assembly election, Sardesai said he had faced a similar situation when the Congress denied him a ticket. Instead of withdrawing from politics, he contested independently and secured the support of voters in Fatorda.
He said the Goa Forward Party has been pursuing an alliance with Congress for the past two years and had even offered to merge the regional party with the principal opposition party.
According to Sardesai, the Congress leadership should explain why it did not come forward for discussions despite the efforts made by Goa Forward.
Sardesai also rejected suggestions that Goa Forward’s decision to suspend alliance talks indicates any understanding with the BJP.
He questioned why taking a position based on the party’s self-respect should automatically lead to allegations of being a BJP agent.
The Goa Forward chief said his party was not involved in any political “fixing” and maintained that the responsibility for the lack of progress in alliance discussions should not be shifted onto Goa Forward.
With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, Sardesai’s remarks underline the widening differences among opposition parties over how — and on what terms — they should come together to take on the BJP.
