No tie-up with NCP-Shiv Sena for Goa polls but 'we are and will remain friends': Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday said an alliance could not be forged between his party and the NCPShiv Sena for the Goa Assembly polls despite best efforts but asserted that they will remain friends and after the elections the Congress would continue to explore opportunities to work together with themChidambaram who is the Congresss senior election observer for the Goa Assembly polls also hit out at the TMC for its barbs at the Congress for not forging an alliance with it saying the party continued to poach Congress leaders despite making an offer of a tieupThe senior Congress leader said he received no instructions from the party leadership to hold talks with the Trinamool Congress TMC and added that I am sure our leadership had taken into account all the facts and circumstancesIn an interview with PTI Chidambaram said that among all the States and UTs Goa registered the lowest in real GDP growth in 201920 the year for which data has been published by the RBI and asserted that Goans deserve betterHe also said that whether the Congress would announce a chief ministerial name before or after the elections would be decided after consulting all the candidates and the party would go by the consensus among themHe also asserted that the contest in the Goa polls is between the Congress plus Goa Forward Party and the BJP and we will be able to win a simple majorityAsked why the Congress was not able to tie up with other Opposition parties especially the Nationalist Congress Party NCP and the Shiv Sena Chidambaram said the NCP and Shiv Sena are the Congresss allies in Maharashtra and it would have liked them to be allies in Goa as wellWe tried They made certain proposals We made certain proposals Unfortunately there was no meeting point I acknowledge that both sides had compulsions and despite our best efforts we could not find a meeting point Chidambaram saidNevertheless we are friends and will remain friends After the elections we will continue to explore opportunities to work together with NCP and Shiv Sena he saidAfter the 2019 Assembly elections in Maharashtra the Shiv Sena which till then allied with the BJP joined hands with the NCP and the Congress to form a government which was given the name Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA The Shiv Sena and the NCP had earlier this month announced that they would contest the Goa elections togetherAsked about the TMCs barbs at the Congress over not forging a tieup with it Chidambaram said he is not able to understand the TMCs positionThey entered Goa a few months ago and my distinguished friend Mamata ji declared in Goa that TMC had formed an alliance and any other party was welcome to join their alliance The General Secretary of TMC declared that TMC will contest all 40 seats Then they lured Mr Luizinho Faleiro Congress MLA to the TMC Chidambaram saidThe Congress announced its first list of candidates on December 16 including the name of Reginald Laurenco sitting MLA and four days later on December 20 Laurenco was admitted to the TMC he said detailing the sequence of eventsOn December 24 TMCs Vice President met me and suggested that the two parties should work together in Goa I agreed to convey the suggestion to our leadership and I promptly did he saidHowever the TMC continued to poach our leaders sarpanches panches etc for example in Vasco and Marmugao he saidI received no instructions from our leadership to hold talks with TMC I am sure our leadership had taken into account all the facts and circumstances As far as I was concerned the matter rested there Chidambaram saidOn the Congress MLAs switching to BJP in the current assembly and what measures the party was taking to prevent a repeat the Congress Goa polls incharge said loyalty is the top priority for the partyThe most important measure which has been implemented in 30 constituencies is that candidates recommended by the Block have been selected to contest the elections he saidBlocks were asked to place loyalty as the top criterion Next the candidates spontaneously offered to take a pledge before a Temple a Church and a Dargah I think such a pledge has removed any lingering doubt about the loyalty of our candidates to the Congress Party and to the voters who will vote them to office Chidambaram saidAhead of the elections candidates of the Congress which was hit hardest by defections in the BJPruled state in the last five years have taken an antidefection pledge before a temple church and dargahAsked if the party would announce a CM face before polls Chidambaram pointed out that he has stated that whether we should announce a CM name before or after the elections will be decided after consulting all the candidatesWe intend to do that We will go by the consensus among the candidates he saidOn whether the Congress would be open to a post poll alliance he said the contest was between the Congress GFP and the BJP and exuded confidence that his partys alliance will be able to win a simple majorityHe said post elections if other parties are willing to support a Congressled government the Congress would take a call depending on the circumstancesChidambaram said the feedback from the ground is positive and expressed confidence that the Congress alliance would do well as the antiBJP sentiment is gathering pace everydayAfter suffering BJPs misrule for 10 years the people of Goa want a nonBJP government he saidAmong all the states and UTs Goa registered the lowest in real GDP growth in 201920 the year for which data has been published by the RBI Goa and Goans deserve better he saidChidambaram expressed confidence that the people of Goa will vote the Congress and its ally GFP to form the next governmentAssembly polls for all 40 seats in Goa will be held on February 14This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday 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