NCP's Praful Patel and Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut addressing a press conference in Panaji
Gomantak Times
The Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena, which currently have a governing coalition in Maharashtra along with Congress, have finalised a pre-poll alliance in Goa and will contest the next month's Goa Assembly Elections together.
Senior NCP functionary Praful Patel announced the decision in the presence of Shiv Sena MP and said both the parties will contest in at least 10 constituencies each.
"We had the discussion and we felt that we should fight the elections jointly. We will be fighting not all 40 seats but we will be fighting a substantial number of seats, at least 10 seats for each party. We have not decided the number but our first list will be released tomorrow," he said.
He expressed confidence that the alliance will win a "respectable number of seats" in Goa.
"Though we may not be able to fully be in a position to form a government we have a respectable number of seats where we will have an important role to play in the formation of a like-minded government in Goa."
Sanjay Raut said NCP and Shiv Sena tried to form a Maha Vikas Aghadi like alliance in Goa but did not get a positive response from Congress.
"In Maharashtra, we have a respectable Maha Vikas Aghadi government running on a common minimum programme. In Goa, we thought of having a pre-poll alliance of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena but Congress think that they make the government on their own. So we wish them good luck. We are not fighting on all 40 seats but we are confident that the next Goa government will be formed with our support," he said.
The NCP had won one (Benaulim) seat in the 2017 Assembly elections.The lone NCP MLA, Churchill Alemao, recently merged the Goa legislative unit of the NCP in the Trinamool Congress.
The Shiv Sena is not represented in the Goa Assembly.
The electoral battle for Goa has become multi-cornered with the entry of Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and aggressive campaigning by the AAP.
The Election commission has scheduled the single-phase assebly elections in Goa for Februrary 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.