In a recent interview with the Times of India, TMC MP Mahua Moitra has spoken in length about the fate of her party as the new entrant in Goan politics. She has claimed that one of the strategies of her party was to break the consolidation of Hindu votes with the intent to give a blow to the ruling BJP.
The TMC leader was asked about the presence of her party resulting in splitting the Non-BJP votes by standing against the saffron party as the many of the one alternatives. To which, Mahua Moitra claimed that particularly in North Goa where the Congress is weak, TMC has tied up with the regional Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). While MGP is at direct loggerheads with the BJP, their alliance with the TMC is intended to prevent a consolidation of Hindu votes, which would not give the BJP an edge, she claimed.
According to Mahua, the BJP could win at the most 12 seats being the single largest party, in the worst-case scenario. Alleging that the Governor of Goa will allow the BJP to form the government in any case, she further added, “BJP will try to break up parties, use the ED, CBI and form the government.”
Talking about the fate of Congress in the state she added, “If Congress were in a position to win 21 seats, I would pack my bags and go home because I am not here to fight the Congress…(They) failed spectacularly in 2017 when even with 17 seats, didn’t ask for government formation.” “Do we leave it to them,I can’t take a risk” she added.
In case of a hung-house situation, she said her party is open to be in a situation where the Congress, AAP, Trinamool along with MGP come together to form an anti-BJP alliance. “Nobody is going to form a government without MGP-TMC,” she added.
When asked about TMC’s recent friction with Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC she covered up saying, “I think I-PAC has worked wonderfully with us in tandem and they have done a brilliant job. Are we where we should have been one week before an election? Yes, we are.”
The state of Goa goes on assembly polls tomorrow. It would be interesting to see whether the BJP retains its position yet again at a time when new regional entrants like the TMC, AAP, NCP and Shiv Sena are trying their luck to stand as an alternative to the Pramod Sawant-led BJP government.
