Goa Forward Party to back Congress in upcoming Assembly elections

“The alliance between the parties now has the blessings of the Congress party high command… Under the leadership of the Congress, we will all come together to fight the anti-people BJP government in Goa,” GFP president Vijai Sardesai said after his meeting with Rahul in Delhi. Tweeting a photograph of him and Rahul, Sardesai said, “Proud to be working for the 2nd liberation of Goa with the great grandson of the person who enabled the 1st!”

Sardesai has been pushing for Opposition parties in the state to come together to form ‘Team Goa’ to take on the BJP. The Congress and GFP are the first to announce their alliance.

The meeting at Rahul’s residence in Delhi, which lasted about 45 minutes, was also attended by AICC in-charge for Goa Dinesh Gundu Rao, Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly Digambar Kamat, GFP MLA Vinod Palyekar and Independent MLA from Sanguem in South Goa Prasad Gaonkar.

Kamat and Sardesai said the modalities will be worked out, and there was no decision yet on seat-sharing. “So far, the GFP and Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar have come together with us. We are still talking to others (parties). You will know in a few days what happens,” Kamat said.

While the alliance between the estranged BJP ally and the Congress was in the works for about four months, the support of independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar, who had earlier pledged support to the TMC in Goa, came as a surprise.