Goa Assembly election: Congress in talks with non-BJP parties, independents for post-poll alliance 

BJP rubbishes Congress’ ‘phone tapping‘ allegations as excuses ahead of results

As counting to the 40-seat Goa Assembly election draws near, the major players in the fray are gearing up for a fractured verdict with the Congress leadership in talks with parties that have not allied with the BJP to form the next government after the results on March 10.

Congress election in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao and the senior election observer P. Chidambaram, who reached Goa on Sunday will be parleying with probable alliance partners, said party sources.

Both Mr. Rao and Mr. Chidambaram, along with the Congress’ ally, the Vijai Sardesai-led Goa Forward Party (GFP) are said to be charting out a strategy to win support from independents in order to help the party win the magic figure of 21 seats.

The Congress’ dithering in forming the government after the 2017 Assembly election had resulted in the BJP under the late Manohar Parrikar to form the government with the critical support of Mr. Sardesai’s GFP and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), along with independent leaders like ex-Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte.

Acutely conscious of his party’s failure to seize the initiative after the 2017 Assembly election despite emerging as the single-largest party (winning 17 seats to the BJP’s 13), Mr. Rao stressed that the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) this time would elect their leader within minutes of the final result on March 10 without wasting any time.

“We will stake claim to form the government on the same day,” he said.

On Saturday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi held a meeting of senior Goa Congress leaders in Delhi in order to discuss the course of action the party would take once the results were out.