Congress hints at pre-poll alliance in Goa

After constantly shutting doors for a pre-poll alliance ahead of the 2017 Legislative Assembly elections in Goa, Congress today hinted that it may join hands with anti-BJP forces.
"Our fight is against BJP. During the recently held Goa legislative Assembly session, Opposition benches under the leadership of (Leader of Opposition) Pratapsinh Rane exposed the state government," AICC general secretary Divijaya Singh told reporters here.
"During the forthcoming polls, if any group wants to join us against communalism, we will think about it," he said.
To a query regarding the chief ministerial candidate from Congress, Singh said instead of projecting the face before the polls, the party would like its Legislature wing to elect their leader.

"We will first appeal people to vote Congress to power in Goa. Then Congress legislature party will decide who would be the next chief minister," he said.
Singh assured that Congress will not give ticket to those leaders chargesheeted in criminal cases.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister also said the party will project new faces in those constituencies where it does not have sitting MLA.
Currently, Congress has eight legislators in the 40-member House.
Stating that the fight in Goa would be two-cornered between BJP and Congress, he claimed that AAP's role in the state will be to "help BJP form the government".

"They (AAP) are certainly not in the race. No matter what Arvind Kejriwal, who is making fake survey, do," Singh added.
The senior Congress leader said the "fake survey" was one of the reasons for difference between Kejriwal and his former colleague Yogendra Yadav.
"(Back then) He (Kejriwal) wanted Yadav to do fake survey which he refused," claimed Singh.