A significant announcement was made by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday: his party would not be forming a coalition with the Congress in Goa. Kejriwal leveled serious accusations against the Congress, alleging that the party had betrayed the public. During a press conference, Kejriwal stated that the Congress was selling its legislators to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Kejriwal unequivocally stated that any alliance with the Congress was out of the question. He stated that the Congress had inflicted the greatest betrayal on the people of Goa. He cited the instances of 13 Congress MLAs joining the BJP between 2017 and 2019 and an additional 10 in 2022. He further questioned whether the Congress could provide assurances that no newly elected MLAs would defect to the BJP.
Kejriwal specifically accused the Congress of selling its MLAs to the BJP. Criticizing both the Congress and BJP, Kejriwal characterized the Congress-BJP political environment as ‘corrupt’. He emphasized that his party would neither support nor assist the BJP in forming a government in Goa.
He highlighted the need for a new paradigm where the people of Goa would have control over their resources and the ability to determine their own destiny. Kejriwal asserted that the AAP would not support the BJP in forming a government in Goa and that an alliance with the Congress was not possible. He described the Congress-BJP dynamic as a flawed political system, advocating for a new system where the citizens of Goa could determine the use of their resources.
Kejriwal is presently on a three-day visit to Goa, which commenced on October 3rd. Atishi, AAP’s Goa in-charge and former Delhi Chief Minister, is also accompanying him. The previous Friday, Kejriwal expressed concerns about the corruption and alleged criminal activities under the BJP-Congress coalition government in Goa, which he stated had persisted for 13 years.
In the preceding 13 years, Goa has faced issues such as illegal construction, illegal mining, widespread corruption, violence, state-supported lawlessness, deteriorating law and order, high crime rates, dilapidated roads, crimes against women, frequent power cuts, substantial unemployment, a decline in tourism, and challenges to the state’s culture. The next Goa Assembly elections are expected to be held in February 2027.