A game of blame has begun between Congress and ally Goa Forward Party (GFP) over the bad show in recent polls as the BJP appears to be returning to power in the coastal state.
The BJP won 20 out of a total of 40 seats in the elections in Goa, supported by MGP and three Independents. The saffron party has yet to file a claim to form the next government, which will be its third consecutive term.
A war of words broke out after District Congress Speaker Vijai Bhike said it was a wrong decision by part of Congress to join the GFP for polls.
“I think we made a wrong decision in joining the Goa Forward party because the alliance did not benefit Congress in any way, but another party took advantage of it,” Bhike told Friday. reporters in the Saligao constituency of North Goa.
He claimed that GFP chief Vijai Sardesai had failed to win the party candidates’ Mayem and Mandrem seats. The GFP’s vote share fell to 1.8 percent in the 2022 polls, from 3.5 percent in 2017, he said.
In the recently concluded elections, the results of which were announced on March 10, BJP won the maximum 20 seats, Congress 11 (a loss of six seats compared to 2017), GFP 1 (loss of two seats), Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party ( 2), AAP (2), Revolutionary Goans (1) and Independents 3.
GFP candidates Santosh Kumar Sawant (Mayem) and Deepak Kalangutkar (Mandrem) criticized Bhike on Saturday.
“You have to remember that GFP President Vijai Sardesai had made a call to form Team Goa (alliance) against BJP in 2020. However, Congress leaders did not act on it until Sardesai met Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi and the alliance was forged for the 2022 polls,” Kalangutkar said.
He said that even after Sardesai met Rahul Gandhi, local Congress leaders continued to say the “alliance has yet to be announced”, raising doubts about the cooperation.
“We condemn Bhike’s statement. I doubt whether Bhike makes such a statement after consulting with his senior party leaders or is dictated by someone else,” Kalangutkar said.
Sawant said the people of Goa wanted to defeat the BJP, but the distribution of votes helped the saffron party.
“Had the alliance been forged a year and a half ago, the results would have been different,” he said.
Questioning the BJP’s “delay” in forming a new government in Goa, Congress had said a day earlier that it was ready to consider all possible alternatives to keep the Saffron Party away from power.
However, a group of BJP lawmakers claimed that the party will lay claim to forming a government in the next four or five days.
This post goa election: In Goa, blame game begins between Congress and ally GFP over poor poll performance
was original published at “https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/assembly-elections/goa/in-goa-blame-game-begins-between-cong-and-ally-gfp-over-poor-poll-performance/articleshow/90320425.cms”
