On the eve of Goa's 60th Liberation Day on Saturday, 18 December, the Goa Forward Party (GFP) announced its alliance with the Congress at a joint press conference in Goa.
President of the GFP, Vijai Sardesai, said that this alliance would liberate Goa from the incumbent "elected autocracy."
"After Vijai Sardesai met our leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, and expressed his support to the Congress, saying that he wants to work with us to defeat the communal and corrupt BJP government in Goa, we welcomed his move," All India Congress Committee incharge for Goa, Dinesh Gundu Rao, said at the press meet on Saturday.
"Whatever happened in the past, has happened. In politics, there is always a scope for friendships and alliances. We have mutual trust and confidence in each other," he added.
Vijay Sardesai, meanwhile, said, "We had said in the past that on the eve of Goa's 60th Liberation Day, we will give you an alliance that will re-liberate Goa from these elected autocracies."
On 30 November, Sardesai had said that his party would join hands with the Congress to fight the "incompetent and undemocratic reign" of the BJP-led government.
"Met Shri Rahul Gandhi, along with my colleagues Prasad Gaonkar and Vinod Palyekar. We agreed to fight resolutely, wholeheartedly and unitedly on behalf of the people of #Goa to end the utterly corrupt, incompetent and undemocratic reign of the BJP," the Forward Party president had said in a tweet.
He had also said that the continuance of Goa under the BJP rule was impossible. After his meeting with Gandhi, Sardesai had tweeted, "Proud to be working for the 2nd liberation of Goa with the great grandson of the person who enabled the 1st! The curse of the communal and anti-Goan @DrPramodPSawant govt will be blown away! [sic]"
Forty seats in Goa are slated to go for polls in February next year.
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