PANAJI: The AAP and Goa Forward Party (GFP) on Sunday announced their pre-poll alliance, “Goa First”, for the 2027 assembly elections in the coastal state, offering what they described as a non-BJP, non-Congress alternative to voters.Making the announcement, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal told reporters in Panaji that the ruling BJP would not secure a majority in the upcoming elections and that the ‘Goa First’ alliance would form the next government.He also said that AAP had learnt a lesson after seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs merged with the BJP and would be extra cautious in future about picking candidates.“The people of Goa want a change. Goa First will form the government. We will win on our own,” Kejriwal said at the press conference in the presence of GFP president Vijai Sardesai, Delhi’s leader of opposition and AAP’s Goa desk in-charge Atishi and others.He described the alliance as credible and honest, saying it was loyal to the people of Goa.Kejriwal said both parties were equal partners in the alliance.Sardesai said the tie-up would provide an alternative to a government which, he alleged, was full of defectors.He said the BJP had not received a complete mandate in the previous elections and that even the Congress leadership could not deny the possibility of another round of defections.“It was important to form the alliance. We have formed the alliance with AAP where prioritisation of the interests of Goa is the focus,” Sardesai said.He said the alliance was open to more political forces.“This alliance has not closed the door; it is open to the like-minded political forces. Many people have approached us, including leaders from both the parties who are tired of their politics,” he said.In the current 40-seat Goa legislative assembly, AAP has two MLAs while GFP has one. Sardesai’s party was an alliance partner of Congress in 2022 elections.About the recent movement of their seven Rajya Sabha MPs to the BJP, Kejriwal said they had learnt a lesson and would be “extra cautious” while selecting nominees to the Upper House of Parliament in the future.“It is a matter of great regret that our Rajya Sabha MPs left the party. They betrayed the party. The party sent them to the Rajya Sabha; the people did not send them,” Kejriwal said.He said the AAP had never betrayed the people through its elected representatives.“We believe that this is a lesson for us because such a thing has never happened in the Aam Aadmi Party before. From now onwards, before sending anyone to the Rajya Sabha, we will scrutinise the person thoroughly and ensure that he is the right person,” he said.Kejriwal cited his party’s experience in Delhi, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat to claim that its elected representatives had remained loyal to AAP despite alleged attempts to engineer defections. He said the party has one MLA in J&K and five in Gujarat.He said the people of Goa had elected two AAP MLAs in the 2022 Assembly polls and alleged that attempts had been made to get them to switch sides. “Both our MLAs did not break away,” he said.In Gujarat, he said, one of the party’s MLAs had resigned, but AAP defeated the BJP in the subsequent by-election. “Wherever our elected representatives are, none of them has betrayed the people,” Kejriwal said.(With inputs from PTI)
