After promising change and honest politics in Goa, Defectors figure prominently in AAP’s first list of candidates

Seven of the 10 candidates announced by AAP were formerly with the BJP, Congress and MGP

@the_news_21

Mumbai: Notwithstanding New Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal to the voters of Goa to weed out the old parties and politicians and establish the first corruption-free government in Goa, the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) first list includes a significant number of political defectors from these ‘old parties’, along with lawyers and social activists.

If that was not enough, announcing the list, the AAP’s Goa in-charge Atishi tweeted that “this is the beginning of change in Goa’s politics.” 

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia while wishing the candidates success, remarked, “You are the torchbearers of Arvind Kejriwal’s honest politics, which Goa will witness in the upcoming elections.” 

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has released its first list of ten candidates on Friday for the upcoming Goa Assembly election. 

Four former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders – Alinha Saldanha, Mahadev Naik, Satyavijay Naik and Viswajit Krishnarao Rane (not to be confused with his namesake, Goa Health Minister Viswajit Rane) have been given tickets from the Cortalim, Shiroda, Valpoi and Poriem Assembly constituencies respectively. 

Saldanha was the sitting MLA from Cortalim and had served as a minister in the erstwhile Manohar Parrikar-led cabinet before quitting the saffron party last month to join the AAP. She had served as the Environment and Forest Minister and had resigned citing ‘loss of principles’ in the BJP and criticising the saffron party for pursuing destructive, anti-people policies and creating “anarchy” in the coastal State. 

Mahadev Naik, a former Goa Industries Minister and an ex-MLA from Shiroda, has been given the ticket from the same constituency. A frequent party hopper, Naik had joined the Congress ahead of the 2019 by-poll in which he lost.

Viswajit K. Rane, had quit the BJP in November last year and is likely to challenge the might of the influential Rane clan in Poriem led by the stalwart octogenarian Congressman Pratapsingh Rane, the incumbent MLA of Poriem.  

While quitting the BJP, Rane had taken a swipe at the octogenarian Pratapsingh Rane, alleging that the Congressman, despite being a legislator for more than 50 years, had failed to provide the people of Poriem even basic necessities. 

Satyavijay Naik was a former secretary of the BJP’s state committee, had unsuccessfully contested from the Valpoi constituency. Naik had managed to poll substantial votes against the Rane clan in the 2017 election, when he was pitted against current Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Pratapsingh Rane. The AAP is hoping to break the Rane family’s stranglehold over Valpoi and Poriem by fielding Satyavijay Naik and Viswajit K. Rane. 

Former Congress leader Abhijit Desai, deputy sarpanch of Netravali village (in Goa’s Sanguem tehsil), has been given the ticket for the Sanguem seat. Long-time Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) member Premanand Nanoskar, who resigned from the MGP in October, will contest the Dabolim seat. 

Goa Vice-President and AAP national executive member, Captain Venzy Viegas will contest the Benaulim Assembly constituency, which is the stronghold of former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Churchill Alemao who is the sitting MLA from Benaulim constituency. 

Advocate Amit Palekar will contest from St. Cruz assembly constituency, while advocate Pratima Coutinho former Goa Congress’ Women’s Wing president has been given the ticket from Navelim constituency.