AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal and GFP’s Vijai Sardesai announced the ‘Goa First’ alliance for the upcoming Goa Assembly elections. Kejriwal positioned it as the only viable non-BJP, non-Congress alternative, claiming it would attract disgruntled BJP voters.
Kejriwal Announces ‘Goa First’ Alliance, Targets BJP and Congress
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday attacked both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress ahead of the upcoming Goa Assembly elections and said that voters looking to oust the ruling BJP have only one viable choice: the newly launched ‘Goa First’ alliance.
Speaking in Panaji alongside Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai to announce their formal pre-poll coalition, Kejriwal dismissed concerns that a third front would split anti-incumbency votes. He asserted that disgruntled BJP supporters would never switch allegiance to the Congress, making ‘Goa First’ the natural destination for voters seeking change. “A BJP voter can never vote for Congress. They can vote for our Goa First alliance, but no matter how disillusioned and disgusted they are with BJP, they will never vote for Congress. They hate Congress,” Kejriwal posted on X.
Refuting Vote-Splitting Narrative
Sharing the press conference on a social media platform, Kejriwal stated that the alliance involving AAP and Vijai Sardesai is strictly a “non-BJP, non-Congress” alternative designed to draw votes directly from BJP. Rejecting the narrative that multi-cornered contests inadvertently aid the BJP, Kejriwal described the idea that AAP only consumes non-BJP votes as a political fallacy. “There cannot be a bigger misconception than what is being claimed—that we will divide the opposition’s votes, that we will divide the non-BJP votes. There is an assumption in that statement that we will only and exclusively receive non-BJP votes, and that BJP voters will not vote for us. This might be true for the Congress, for various reasons,” he said.
Winning Over BJP Voters
Citing past electoral data from the national capital, the former Delhi Chief Minister pointed to the significant vote swings between general and assembly elections to demonstrate AAP’s ability to win over traditional BJP supporters. “In Delhi, whenever assembly elections—the Vidhan Sabha elections—were held, we consistently received 52% of the vote share across… leaving aside this latest election, in the previous ones. And in the Lok Sabha elections, we received 32% of the votes. This 20% vote share used to go to the BJP in the Lok Sabha, and in the Vidhan Sabha, it would come to us. These voters do not vote for the Congress. A person who votes for the BJP will, under no circumstances, ever vote for the Congress. For them, the Aam Aadmi Party is acceptable,” Kejriwal noted.
Extending the dynamic to Goa, Kejriwal said that voters seeking relief from anti-incumbency look for viable regional leadership rather than the Congress. “In Goa, Vijai Sardesai is acceptable to them. In Goa, the Goa First alliance will be acceptable, but not the Congress. The anti-incumbency vote today—those who are frustrated with the BJP, who are distressed with the BJP—they will under no circumstances vote for the Congress. In Gujarat, our experience demonstrates this. The recent election we won was won right inside a hardcore BJP stronghold. The BJP voter is willing to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party, but under no circumstances for the Congress… they harbor hatred toward the Congress. So, this assumption of yours that we will merely split votes—that is not the case. The Aam Aadmi Party used to win in Delhi because we secured votes from the BJP as well, while completely wiping out the Congress. And as I mentioned, 20% of the votes clearly shifted between the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections,” he added.
‘Need to Win Hearts of All Goans’
Kejriwal underlined that forming a government in the coastal state requires broad-based public trust spanning across traditional party lines. “Here, if we have to form the government, we need to draw votes from the BJP, from the Congress, and from everyone. We have to win the hearts of all 1.5 million (15 lakh) people of Goa; only then will we be able to win. We cannot win otherwise,” Kejriwal added.
A ‘Credible and Honest’ Alternative
This comes after Kejriwal on Sunday announced an alliance with Vijai Sardesai-led Goa Forward Party (GFP), naming the alliance ‘Goa First’ and pitching it as an alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress.
Addressing mediapersons, Kejriwal said the formation of the ‘Goa First’ alliance was necessary as people of the state had been observing the political situation for years and realised that they had no real choice. “This alliance became necessary because the people of Goa have been observing the political situation for years and have realised that they have had no real choice. They have had to vote for either the Congress or the BJP, while an understanding has existed between the two parties. People want an alternative. Until now, the people have had no option other than the BJP or the Congress,” he said.
Kejriwal added, “Today, for the first time, an alternative has emerged in the form of ‘Goa First’—an alliance that is neither the BJP nor the Congress. Those who wish to defeat the BJP can vote for it, as can those who are fed up with the Congress’s betrayals. ‘Goa First’ is not merely a theoretical alliance; it will win. A ‘Goa First’ government will be formed on our own strength. We will win on our own merit. This is a credible and honest alliance that is loyal to the people of Goa,” Kejriwal said.
Goa’s Current Political Landscape
Goa is currently governed by the BJP, with Pramod Sawant serving as the Chief Minister. The state is expected to hold its next Assembly elections in 2027.
AAP currently governs Punjab under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and has a significant political presence in Delhi. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)