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Updated November 6th, 2021 at 02:18 IST

Puti Goankar joins AAP; will contest elections against Goa CM Pramod Sawant

The Goa Mining People’s Front convener Puti Goankar announced that he will be joining the Aam Aadmi Party and will be contesting against the incumbent BJP CM.

Reported by: Aakansha Tandon
Goa
Image: PTI/Twitter | Image:self
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In a major development in Goa’s politics ahead of 2022 polls, the Goa Mining People’s Front convener Puti Gaonkar announced on Friday, November 5, that he will be joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and will be contesting against the incumbent BJP CM Pramod Sawant.

As the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP sets the stage for its maiden election in Goa, Puti Gaonkar on Friday claimed that he will take on the incumbent CM from the Sanquelim constituency and will win the seat with the people’s support. He further added that he will resolve Goa’s long-pending mining halt within six months of rising to power. He aims to resolve people’s land ownership issues too. 

Puti Gaonkar joins AAP; to contest against Pramod Sawant

The development of Gaonkar joining AAP comes days after he announced the Goa State Navnirman Aghadi Forum aimed at eliminating BJP in the upcoming elections. While talking to the press on Friday, he alleged that despite being in power for the last 12 years, BJP has not been able to resolve the mining dispute. Puti Gaonkar further alleged that the incumbent BJP is not going into the mining business as the party wants to safeguard its own interests, and that the government is hesitant to aid families whose homes were destroyed and damaged during the floods.

The halt of the mining business has put all the people who were dependent on mining, as well as garhwalas and retailers in jeopardy, he claimed. To resume mining, a corporation has been formed by him. However, the company needs the services of an expert to resolve the matter, he added.

Goa needs an alternative and AAP will be people's desired choice: Puti Gaonkar

Gaonkar said that he believes that Goa needs an alternative and AAP will be the desired alternative that Goans will opt for, he added. He further informed that he had a discussion with Arvind Kejriwal on the long-standing mining issue and Kejriwal had assured that he will visit Goa to study the matter. Gaonkar went on to say that the AAP will plan appropriately after analysing the situation and he had filed an intervention application for an early hearing in the case, and that Kejriwal's lawyers would monitor the legal activity.

AAP’s Kejriwal announces free pilgrimage scheme ahead of 2022 polls

During his third trip to Goa this year, Kejriwal announced that if AAP forms the government next year, they will provide the youth with employment opportunities under their ‘Employment Guarantee Act', and until they get placed, they will be given Rs. 3000 unemployment allowance. Announcing a free pilgrimage scheme after making a recent trip to Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, he was tempted to send every Hindu devotee to visit Ram Janambhoomi temple, hence if voted to power, AAP government will offer free teerth yatra to Ayodhya and for the people of other communities, religious trips to - Ajmer Sharif Dargah, and Shirdi, etc will be made free under the scheme. 

Kejriwal further added that his government will also look after people of the mining and tourism sector who have lost their jobs during COVID-19 and suffered heavy losses. He said on being elected, the government will provide Rs. 5,000 each to families of miners and people from the tourism industry. 

Image: Twitter/PTI

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Published November 6th, 2021 at 02:21 IST

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