On Monday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused a conspiracy aimed at breaking the ‘Goa First’ alliance and asked its new partner, the GFP, to clarify its position. The party said the alliance was being targeted by a ‘Congress‑BJP joint venture’ and urged GFP to decide whether it supports the coalition or the people of Goa.
The ‘Goa First’ coalition was formed on 13 September by AAP and the GFP, led by Vijai Sardesai, for the 2027 assembly elections. State president Valmiki Naik said the alliance is open to parties other than the Congress and the BJP, and that conspiracies exist to split it.
Sardesai had earlier stated that the GFP was ready for political realignment if demanded, and that ‘Goa First’ was not a non‑Congress alliance. He added that the party would join other like‑minded groups that oppose the BJP. In the 40‑member Goa assembly, AAP holds two seats and GFP one, while the GFP had allied with the Congress in 2022.
Naik warned that defections between the Congress and BJP have become a recurring feature in Goa politics and that this trend could continue in 2027. He accused the Congress of helping the BJP retain power and suggested that the party could face another wave of defections, citing Girish Chodankar’s return as chief of the party. The alliance was described as a ‘non‑Congress, non‑BJP front’ and has been the subject of multiple allegations of defections.
