AAP backs Congress Speaker candidate in Goa, but rules out future alliance

Porvorim : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday extended support to Congress MLA Altone D’Costa in the election for Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, while simultaneously declaring that it would not share any platform with the Congress henceforth.

AAP MLAs Cruz Silva (Velim) and Capt. Venzy Viegas (Benaulim) said their support to the Congress candidate was due to a prior commitment, but stressed that Congress’ conduct in the Delhi Assembly elections had effectively ended any possibility of future collaboration.

Mr. Silva pointed to recent remarks by Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav, who admitted that Congress had contested the elections with the intention of defeating senior AAP leaders and later celebrated their loss. “Despite ideological differences, we had earlier joined hands with Congress under the INDIA alliance to defend the Constitution. We had even backed Congress candidates in the MP elections. But Congress’ actions in Delhi were nothing short of betrayal,” Mr. Silva said.

Capt. Viegas echoed the sentiment, stating, “As a mark of protest, we will no longer share platforms with Congress in Goa. Yet today we voted for Congress leader Altone D’Costa because AAP keeps its word. We do not backstab.”

The MLAs added that their decision was meant to underscore the importance of sincerity and accountability in politics. “We are here to protect the people’s mandate and be the voice of Goans. Goans should know that we will not support Congress because they have repeatedly betrayed the people,” Capt. Viegas said.