New Delhi: A day after Trinamool Congress made a desperate attempt to reach out to the Congress party for a possible alliance for Goa polls, the grand old party has rejected the proposal outright.
"People of Goa are going to reject Trinamool Congress in the election. We are not forming any alliance with them," senior Congress leader and AICC Goa in-charge: Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Monday (January 17). "Trinamool's approach in Goa is very poor, and their objective is wrong," he further said.
Earlier, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool got a major snub from AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. On December 22, Kejriwal, a longtime 'Mamata Didi' admirer, sought to question Trinamool Congress's national ambitions and its efforts to spread its national footprint.
"..Aise Democracy nahi chalti (Democracy does not run like this)," Kejriwal had said in Panjim. "I think you people (media) give a lot of importance to TMC. I think TMC doesn't have even one per cent vote share as of now. It came to Goa only three months back, 'aise Democracy nahi chalti (democracy doesn't work like this)," he had said.
Congress leader Gundu Rao's remarks came on Monday after Trinamool poll-in charge for Goa, Mohua Moitra had said 'principals' had spoken on the matter. She also said, "By principal, you obviously mean the absolute top leadership. It does not mean the poll in charge and does not mean the state in-charge".
Trinamool reach out attempts in Goa are interesting as, during her visit to Goa, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee claimed her party had already made an 'alliance with Goa's state level parties'.
The polls to the 40-member Goa assembly are scheduled for February 14.
Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal on Monday countered senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's claim that the contest in Goa is between the Congress and the BJP. "Goans will vote where they see hope. Congress is hope for BJP, not Goans. 15 of ur (Congress) 17 MLAs switched to BJP," Kejriwal tweeted.
