NCP IS OPEN FOR ALLIANCE WITH CONGRESS TO SAVE DIVISION OF `SECULAR VOTES’
PANAJI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), national spokesman and observer for Goa, Narendra Verma Friday said that party does not want to divide secular votes and would like to forge an alliance with Congress subject to respectful seat sharing for 2022 Goa Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference in the city, Verma said, “NCP has lot of potential in Goa. There is enthusiasm in party office-bearers. In 2022 Assembly elections we are expecting lot of good response from voters. We would like to go with Congress subject to there has to be respectful seat sharing.”
To a question, Verma warned that NCP will not hesitate to fight all 40 seats in Goa if there is no pre-poll alliance with the Congress Party. “We are of the opinion that secular votes should not get divided and someone should get benefit of it. Our option is open and if there is no alliance then we will fight all 40 seats,” he said.
Verma claimed that NCP has a lot of scope in Goa and that the party leaders are building the organisation. He said party’s national general secretary Praful Patel will open NCP’s Central office will be opened at Panaji at 3 pm on Sunday, November 22. It will be followed by a public rally at Azad Maidan, Panaji at 4 pm. Another office will also be opened in South Goa district soon, he added.
When asked for his reaction on inter-State Mhadei river dispute. Verma said that the NCP will always stand by the people and if the development is not in the interest of people, party will oppose it.
NCP State president Jose Philip D’Souza, senior vice president and MLA Churchill Alemao, vice president Nelly Rodrigues, Nationalist Mahila Congress president Sandra Martins and Minority Cell chief Nazir Khan were also present for press conference.