Panaji, Jan 20 There is a thinking within the NCP to align with like-minded parties to form an alliance to provide a viable alternative to the BJP and provide a stable government in Goa, party supremo Sharad Pawar said on Wednesday.
Pawar also said that the Nationalist Congress Party Vice President Praful Patel had been authorised to conduct parleys with political parties in Goa which includes the the Congress and Goa Forward to cobble together a possible alliance.
"In Goa we have not taken any final decision. Within our party we have a thinking that assembly elections should be contested as an alliance between NCP, Congress, Goa (Forward) and other like-minded parties. We have not discussed yet. But within our party there is a understanding," Pawar said.
The party had fared poorly in the 2017 Assembly polls winning just one seat in the 40-member Goa Assembly, after much delayed talks for an alliance with the Congress failed. State assembly elections in Goa are scheduled for early 2022.
Pawar also said that Patel had been authorised to touch base with possible allies in Goa, but added that generally decisions on pre-poll alliances are taken "three to six months" prior to elections.
Earlier on Wednesday, state NCP president Jose Phillip D'Souza had underlined the need to patch up an alliance as soon as possible.
"Whether we should go with an alliance with other parties or not, it has to be decided now. If we leave it for too late, with a month or two to go for elections, then there is limited scope for discussion and things can go wrong. The talks should begin now," D'Souza said, adding that he would be discussing the matter with Pawar.
( With inputs from IANS )
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