Congress Initiates Talks with AAP and RGP for United Front in Goa Assembly Elections

The Congress has opened formal alliance talks with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) to build a united front ahead of the 2027 Goa Assembly elections. Talking to reporters, state Congress president Girish Chodankar confirmed positive preliminary discussions with AAP and RGP leaders, but noted that detailed seat-sharing negotiations will begin once the Goa Forward Party lifts its temporary suspension on alliance talks. As the principal Opposition party, the Congress has taken the initiative to bring like-minded parties together to fight the upcoming assembly polls as a united front, he said. Chodankar said that Goa AAP chief Valmiki Naik and RGP president Viresh Borkar have shown positive signs of allying with the Congress. The formal talks of alliance will begin shortly, during which other details, including seat-sharing, could be discussed, he said. He asserted that the Congress is also willing to go ahead with a tie-up with the Goa Forward Party, which has temporarily suspended talks. "We are waiting for the GFP to lift the suspension of talks, so that we can begin the discussion," Chodankar said. Earlier this month, the GFP, which had allied with the Congress during the 2022 state polls, stalled the negotiations, claiming they want to concentrate on all 40 constituencies in the coastal state. In the 2022 Goa assembly polls, the BJP won 20 of the 40 seats, while the Congress bagged 11. GFP had won one seat back then. (With inputs from PTI)