New Delhi: The Goa Forward Party and Congress have announced their pre-poll alliance in a press conference ahead of the upcoming Goa assembly elections early next year. In the press conference, Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai said, “We've said in the past that on the eve of Goa's 60th Liberation Day, we'll give you an alliance that will re-liberate Goa from these elected autocracies.”
After the press conference and the announcement of the alliance, Sardesai wrote on his Twitter handle, “On eve of #Goa’s60thLiberationDay alliance of @INCGoa & @Goaforwardparty announced! This is #TeamGoa to reliberate Goa from elected autocracy that is presently involved in politics of acquisitions and takeovers !What began at the residence of @RahulGandhi has been taken forward.”
The official Twitter handle of President Goa Forward Party tweeted a photo of Sardesai and other leaders after the press conference. The tweet read, “TOTAL LIBERATION OF #GOA. Our alliance with the @INCGoa is the death knell for the immoral and corrupt @BJP4Goa, and a fitting answer to the part-time parties who’re here to promote their own leaders and satisfy their national ambitions at the cost of #Goa! #ChalYaFuddem!”
Goa Liberation Day is celebrated on December 19 every year to commemorate the liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule by Indian armed forces. On November 30, Sardesai had met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi which had indicated the possibility of an alliance between the parties.
Goa Forward Party was a member of BJP-led NDA and the parties had contested the assembly elections of 2017 jointly. It had left NDA in 2019 after a rift with BJP.