Panaji, Hoardings featuring the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Goa Forward Party (GFP) surfaced along Goa’s highways on Saturday, sparking buzz of a new front emerging in the coastal state ahead of AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s visit.However, the Congress said alliance talks with the Vijai Sardesai-led GFP were underway for the 2027 assembly polls.Displaying the slogan, “Don’t let them cheat you the third time”, the hoardings with symbols of AAP and GFP signal an imminent pre-poll arrangement between Kejriwal’s party and the Vijai Sardesai’s outfit for the 2027 state elections.“Am going to Goa today to make a very big announcement,” Kejriwal wrote on his X handle on Saturday morning, even as AAP functionaries confirmed he would arrive in the state later during the day.The GFP is a regional outfit led by former deputy chief minister Sardesai, who is the party’s lone MLA in the state assembly, while the AAP has two MLAs – Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva – representing Benaulim and Velim constituencies respectively in South Goa.A senior GFP functionary said Kejriwal will address a press conference on Sunday during which the alliance between the AAP and GFP would be announced.It would be a non-BJP and non-Congress alliance, he said.The state executive of the Goa Forward Party met on Saturday and resolved to immediately move towards an alliance with like-minded secular political forces to unitedly defeat the BJP in the February 2027 Goa Assembly elections.In a social media post, GFP has said “Our message is clear: Goa First. Before party, before politics and before personal ambitions — Goa First”.
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“This Chovoth (Ganesh Chaturthi), we will strive to give the people of Goa a United Alternative, one that puts Goa first, protects Goemkarponn, and stands firmly against corruption, communalism and the politics of defection,” the GFP said.Meanwhile, Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar told reporters here that the GFP has been an ally since 2022 and was still in talks with his party.“The Goa Forward Party is in talks with Congress’ central leadership for the 2027 Goa Assembly election pre-poll alliance. I have confirmed with my high command even today morning. They have said that the talks for alliance are still on,” Chodankar said.The GFP fought the 2022 assembly election in alliance with the Congress, while the AAP had contested on its own. The Sardesai-led party was in talks with the Congress for a pre-poll alliance for the 2027 state elections but had later stalled the discussion, citing no response from the latter.The elections for the Goa legislative assembly are due before March 2027. PTI
