The Indian National Congress (INC) in Goa announced on Wednesday that they will delay naming their candidate for the South Goa Lok Sabha seat until after a meeting of the INDIA alliance in Delhi. This comes a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) declared their own candidate for the seat, escalating tensions between the two opposition parties.
The AAP's unilateral move to field Viegas prompted the Congress to assert that the final candidate selection will be made after discussions within the INDIA alliance during a meeting in Delhi. State Congress president Amit Patkar clarified that despite eight contenders vying for both the North and South Goa seats within the party, the decision is pending coordination within the alliance.
Asked about AAP’s announcement of the South Goa Lok Sabha seat candidate, state Congress president Amit Patkar on Wednesday said the opposition INDIA alliance is yet to decide the candidate.
We have eight aspirants each for the North Goa and South Goa seats from the Congress party itself. The AAP has shortlisted Venzy Viegas. The final candidate will be decided after the INDIA alliance meeting in Delhi, Patkar said at a press conference where he was accompanied by MP Sardinha.
Patkar also conveyed assurance in Congress's victory prospects for both the North Goa and South Goa Lok Sabha seats. On Tuesday, Patkar raised concerns about the "premature" declaration by AAP, noting that negotiations on seat-sharing are still in progress in New Delhi.
In January, during his visit to Goa, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal mentioned that his party was in discussions regarding a seat in the coastal state as part of the INDIA alliance.