JOIN USOpposition divided in Goa: Chidambaram says contest between Cong-BJP
With Opposition unity having gone for a toss in Goa, where six opposition parties are contesting polls against the ruling BJP, Congress on Monday asserted that the election in the coastal state is a direct one between it and the BJP while others like AAP and TMC will only divide the non-BJP votes.
While Trinamool Congress has spoken to the top Congress leadership and offered it to be party of the Opposition alliance sewn up Trinamool Congress, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal had on Sunday said that his government was ready to be part of a coalition government in Goa in case polls throw up a fractured mandate.
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Latching on to Kejriwal's comments, P Chidambaram, who is Congress' senior election observer for Goa said that Kejriwal's statement has vindicated his own assessment that the contest in Goa is directly between BJP and Congress and Trinamool Congress and AAP will only "fracture" the non-BJP votes.
"The choice before the voter in Goa is stark and clear. Do you want a regime change or not? I appeal to the voters of Goa to vote for a regime change and vote for Congress... Those who want a regime change (after 10 years of misrule) will vote for Congress. Those who want the regime to continue will vote for the BJP," Chidambaram said.
Kejriwal hits back
"Sir please stop this wailing that we are finished and our votes were divided. Goans will vote where they see hope. Cong is hope for BJP, not Goans.15 of ur 17 MLAs switched to BJP. Cong guarantee- every vote to Cong will be safely delivered to BJP. To vote BJP, route thro Cong for safe delivery," the Delhi Chief Minister reminded Chidambaram in a terse tweet about how almost the entire Congress legislator group in Goa switched over to BJP in lock stock and barrel in last few years even as the Congress had emerged as the single largest party in Goa in 2017 Assembly polls but failed to form a government.
Taking on Mamata Banerjee led TMC for the promise of Rs 5000 to women in Goa, Chidambaram had earlier mockingly said, "God bless Goa."
In the run-up to the polls both BJP and TMC have poached a number of leaders of Congress. However, as the poll date nears, Congress is having the confidence of being in the game. Former Goa Congress Working President Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco on Monday indicated his intention of coming back to Congress after having joined Trinamool Congress last month, from whose primary membership he resigned on Sunday, terming his earlier decision a 'mistake'.
Besides the three-time MLA set to join Congress. Last week former BJP minister Michael Lobo joined the Congress days after BJP's Yuva Morcha's national executive member Gajanan Tilve joined it. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has also taken potshots at TMC and AAP saying these parties have already 'come to power in their imagination' in Goa.
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