After exit poll results predicted the likeliness of a hung assembly in Goa, the state's Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Tuesday, 8 March, where the two leaders held a discussion about the polls.
"I met with PM Modi today, held poll discussion. We'll form the government with maximum seats. I feel I'll be given the chance to serve (as Goa CM) once again. If BJP has said so (his candidature as CM), it'll definitely happen. BJP practices what it preaches," Sawant was quoted as saying by ANI.
Meanwhile, a day ahead of the exit poll results, the Congress on Monday indicated a departure from its anti-alliance stance and said it would take "whichever party is against the BJP" on board.
After his meeting with the PM, Sawant took to Twitter to say that the "BJP will continue to work for people's welfare."
'Ready to Talk to Anti-BJP Parties': Congress
Meanwhile, signalling a notable change, Congress hinted that it is ready form an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Speaking to The Indian Express, AICC Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao said, "Whichever party is against the BJP, we will talk with them and we are ready to take them on board. I am not talking about any particular party now. Any party that does not want to support the BJP, we are willing to accommodate them."
Talking about the TMC and AAP, Rao noted that the parties are "anti-BJP in terms of their campaign."
According to News18, Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar has said that they will win the elections with 23-26 seats.
“The magic figure has been decided by the people of Goa. It will come out in the open soon. We are confident that we will win between 23 and 26 seats,” Chodankar said, according to the report.
Meanwhile, reports said that the Congress has asked its Goa candidates to stay in a hotel until Thursday afternoon, 10 March.
Amid these reports, Sawant said, "I think the Congress party always has fear in their mind. They fear that the candidates whom they chose this time will run away. That is why they have started resort politics."
BJP Goa Unit Holds Meeting
These developments come a day after the BJP state unit held a meeting with the party’s election agents. Sawant had said that he is confident the BJP will form the next government in the state.
"BJP will be winning more than 20/40 seats. Most exit polls show that BJP is winning. We will form the government with the support of independent and regional parties. Central leadership will be in talks with them over their demands, will seek MGP's support, if needed," he added.
Before the meeting, he said:
“I had not met the PM after the election, so I am meeting him just to discuss how the election was. There are exit polls coming, what our surveys say, to give him a detailed idea of what can happen, about government formation… We are fully confident that the BJP will get a full majority and form the government. If we fall short of a seat or two, there are Independents who can win and support us,” The Indian Express reported.
Neck-and-Neck Battle Between Cong-BJP, Hung Assembly Possible
Most exit poll projections for the state of Goa indicate that there may be a neck-and-neck battle between the Congress and the BJP in the 2022 Assembly polls. The results will be out on Thursday, 10 March.
In the 40-member house, the Congress had emerged as the single largest party in 2017, winning 17 seats, but the BJP, which won 13 seats, managed to form the government with the support of the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which had won three seats each, besides two Independents.
After the meeting, Sawant is scheduled to go to Mumbai for a meeting with the BJP's Goa in-charge, Devendra Fadnavis.
Fadnavis is believed to be in talks with the MGP for an alliance. The BJP is also ready to reach out to independents.
The MGP, however, is not inclined to back Pramod Sawant, who had dropped the party from the Goa cabinet after taking over as chief minister following Manohar Parrikar's death in 2019.
(With inputs from The Indian Express and News18.)
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