BELAGAVI: In the midst of the continued defections and resignations of legislators in Goa ahead of the February 14 assembly election, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced Amit Palekar as its CM face.
An advocate by profession, 46-year old Palekar hails from the Bhandari community, which had been deprived of political representation for a long time in Goa. While launching Palekar as the CM candidate for Goa, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal described him as a honest man who is willing to give his life for the state.
Speaking to reporters in Goa on Wednesday, Kejriwal expressed confidence that Palekar would take all communities together irrespective of caste and religion. People in Goa were impressed by the Delhi governance model and they needed a change, he said, adding that the party allotted tickets to new faces across Goa.
The AAP has already announced candidates for several constituencies in Goa and is gearing up to contest from all 40 seats. According to sources, the campaigns of the AAP in both North Goa and South Goa evoked a good response.
While several political analysts predict a gain for the BJP if the Congress, AAP, TMC and MGP contest separately, the continued resignation of legislators from the ruling BJP is likely to land it in trouble politically.
The AAP has decided to contest alone, hitting out at the Congress and BJP, calling both parties as one and the same in Goa. "It is like voting for the BJP if the votes are cast for the Congress. The Congress MLAs will join the BJP if they win,'' Kejriwal had said a few days ago, adding that the Congress which had 17 MLAs after the last assembly elections was left with merely two MLAs today.