Panaji: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Goa spokesperson Siddhesh Shripad Naik launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its ‘Goy Rakhonn Yatra’, alleging that the campaign is aimed at protecting the party’s own political existence rather than Goa and Goans.
The Congress campaign is scheduled to run from September 22 to October 18 and cover all 40 Assembly constituencies in Goa. Congress says the yatra will raise issues concerning Goa’s land, identity, unemployment, safety and other public concerns.
In a press statement, Naik described the campaign as a “Save Congress Yatra” and alleged that internal differences within the Congress had become evident from the very beginning of the programme.
Naik claimed that former GPCC president Girish Chodankar, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, MLAs Altone D’Costa and Carlos Ferreira, and South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes were absent from a flag-hoisting event at Congress House. He cited their alleged absence to question unity within the party.
Naik Questions Congress Unity
Naik alleged that Congress leaders were divided over positions and political power and questioned how the party could claim to protect Goa when, according to him, its own leaders were not united.
He further accused the Congress of lacking a clear vision for the state and claimed that its leaders were more interested in securing political positions than in public service.
Naik also levelled allegations of corruption and misuse of public money against the Congress, claiming that the party’s return to power would not serve Goa’s development. These are allegations made by the BJP spokesperson in his statement; no supporting evidence for those allegations was included in the press note.
Claims Congress Will Struggle in 2027
Referring to the 2027 Goa Assembly election, Naik claimed that Congress would struggle to find what he described as competent candidates across all 40 constituencies. He further predicted that several senior Congress leaders would lose their security deposits.
Naik concluded by saying that Goa’s voters were politically conscious and would judge the Congress and its campaign in the forthcoming Assembly election.
Congress, meanwhile, has publicly described the ‘Goy Rakhonn Yatra’ as a statewide outreach campaign. Its official campaign material says the 27-day programme will travel through all 40 constituencies, while Congress leaders have said issues including law and order, women’s safety, environment and land will be raised during the campaign..
