PANJAI: The Congress on Tuesday dubbed the AAP's alliance with Goa-based GFP an "exchange offer" deal with the ruling BJP to ensure that the saffron party and the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP retain Goa and Punjab, respectively, in upcoming elections by supporting each other.
The Aam Aadmi Party and Vijai Sardesai-led Goa Forward Party (GFP) recently announced the "Goa First" alliance ahead of the 2027 assembly elections to challenge the ruling BJP, stepping up the pitch for “defections-free” politics.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar on Tuesday alleged that the AAP and GFP entered into an "exchange offer" with the BJP, under which the saffron party would support the AAP in Punjab, and the latter would back the BJP in Goa.
"The 'Goa First' alliance had gone against the aspirations of the people of Goa, who wanted a larger opposition alliance to take on the BJP in the 2027 elections. The AAP must have made an exchange offer ensuring that the BJP will help AAP win Punjab elections, while in Goa, AAP will support BJP," he alleged in an interview to PTI.
The Congress leader claimed the alliance was being formed to serve BJP’s interests rather than the people of Goa.
"People of Goa are opposed to this unholy alliance and would reject these parties in the polls. They won't be able to win even a single seat. This will be their last election. In Goa, it would be 'Goa Last' for them," said Chodankar.
In the 2022 elections in Goa, the BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 20 seats in the 40-member Assembly. The Congress bagged 11 seats, the AAP 2, GFP 1, MGP 2, RGP 1 and Independents 3.
However, seven months after the polls, eight Congress MLAs, led by former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party in September, boosting its numerical strength in the House to 28.