LS Polls: AAP Names Candidates For South Goa, 2 Gujarat Seats, Steps Up Pressure On Congress Over Seat-Sharing

On Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) declared their party MLA Venzy Viegas, as the candidate representing the I.N.D.I.A bloc for the upcoming elections in the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency.

File photo of AAP MLA Venzy Viegas with Delhi CM and AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal

Source : X/@Venzy Viegas

The Aam Admi Party (AAP) announced the party MLA Venzy Viegas as the I.N.D.I.A bloc candidate from the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency for the forthcoming elections, on Tuesday. This decision of AAP is likely to stir controversy within the Congress, as the current MP representing South Goa is from the grand old party. Viegas's nomination also suggests that his candidacy was not discussed with Congress, as reported by PTI.

Amit Palekar, the state unit president of AAP, informed reporters, "The last meeting of the I.N.D.I.A bloc was held 30 days back, but after that Congress leaders became busy. That is why the AAP decided to field the party leader as its South Goa candidate."

He clarified that Viegas is the nominee of the I.N.D.I.A bloc urged other opposition parties to support him, highlighting Viegas's position as the sitting MLA from the Benaulim constituency.

Currently, South Goa is one of the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa represented by Francisco Sardinha of the Congress.

AAP Announces Candidates For 2 LS Seats In Gujarat

The AAP also announced candidates for two Gujarat seats for LS polls complaining over delayed seat-sharing negotiations. Sandeep Pathak, AAP's national general secretary, declared Venzy Viegas as the party candidate from South Goa and Chaitar Vasva and Umeshbhai Makwana from the Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats in Gujarat.

According to PTI, the AAP has demanded eight Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat for itself, leaving the remaining 18 of the 26 seats for the Congress.

Political Landscape In South Goa After 2019 Assembly Elections 

In the 2019 general elections, AAP MLA Elvis Gomes secured the third position with 20,891 votes, trailing behind Sardinha and Narendra Sawaikar of the BJP. While South Goa has historically favored the Congress, the political landscape shifted after the 2019 assembly elections, with the BJP winning 12 out of 20 assembly segments and Congress securing only two.

According to PTI, Delhi CM and AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal stated during his visit to Goa in January that his party was in discussions regarding a seat in Goa as part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc.

"Whatever discussion that takes place, do vote for the I.N.D.I.A bloc candidate in the Lok Sabha elections," Kejriwal had said while addressing a public meeting in the Benaulim assembly segment. He further added that AAP has been doing “kam ki rajneeti” (politics of work). “No one did politics of work in the past because their intention was only to make money for themselves."

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