Goa polls: AAP's 2017 CM candidate Elvis Gomes joins Congress amid Kejriwal's foray

Despite AAP's plan to expand its footprint in Goa politics, its 2017 CM candidate Elvia Gomes joined the Congress party on Sunday ahead of the Assembly election. Inducted at a ceremony in the presence of Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar and Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, the bureaucrat-turned-politician stated that Congress is the only party that understands the aspirations of the Goans. On this occasion, Chodankar predicted that more leaders from AAP and other parties will switch allegiance to Congress soon.

After taking voluntary retirement from the state government in 2016, he served as AAP's state convenor and unsuccessfully contested from Cuncolim in the 2017 polls where the Arvind Kejriwal-led party drew a blank. Speculation was rife about his political future after he quit AAP in December 2020 citing "high command culture". He is likely to contest from the Cuncolim seat again. 

Sounding the poll bugle for the 2022 Goa election last month, AAP president Arvind Kejriwal promised 4 major power sops for the consumers. This includes 300 units of free electricity to every household, waiving of pending bills, 24/7 uninterrupted power supply and free electricity for farmers. Addressing a press briefing in Panaji, Kejriwal stressed that the people of Goa prefer an alternative and contended that thousands of persons have promised not to vote for BJP and Congress owing to their "betrayal". 

Political scenario in Goa

In the 2017 Goa Assembly polls, BJP suffered a huge blow in the absence of its stalwart leader Manohar Parrikar as it could win only 13 seats in contrast to Congress whose candidates won in 17 constituencies. Moreover, the incumbent CM Laxmikant Parsekar failed to retain his own seat. As none of the two main parties could win a majority on its own, the role of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (3 seats), Goa Forward Party (3 seats), 3 Independents and a lone NCP MLA became very crucial.

In an astonishing turn of events, BJP staked claim to form the government with the support of 3 MGP MLAs, 3 GFP MLAs, two Independents and the NCP MLA. Parrikar resigned as the Defence Minister to return as the Chief Minister of Goa to lead this coalition government. However, a vacuum emerged in the state after he passed away on March 17, 2019. While erstwhile Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant replaced him, the rift within the ruling parties widened.

In the next few months, both Deputy CMs in the Parrikar Cabinet- MGP chief Sudin Dhavalikar and GFP president Vijai Sardesai were sacked from the Cabinet. But, BJP consolidated its position completely only after 10 Congress MLAs including Chandrakant Kavlekar, Atanasio Monserrate, Jeniffer Monserratte, Francis Silveira, Philip Nery Rodrigues, Cleaofacio Dias, Wilfred Dsa, Nilkant Halarnkar and Isidor Fernandes joined the saffron party on July 10, 2019. In April this year, Speaker Rajesh Patnekar dismissed the disqualification petitions filed against the 10 Congress legislators.