BJP's Former Goa Ally MGP Joins Hands With TMC Ahead of Assembly Elections

MGP president said that the party was projected by sections of the media of having no option other than the BJP.

Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), a former ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa, has sealed a pre-poll alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

(Photo Courtesy: TMC/Twitter)

Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), a former ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa, has sealed a pre-poll alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

The announcement was made by MGP President Deepak Dhavalikar on Monday, 6 December in a press briefing.

"The TMC has agreed for 12 seats and if all conditions are met during Mamata Banerjee's visit on 13 December, we might announce the alliance together," said Dhavalikar.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) tweeted a picture of TMC MP Luizinho Faleiro and the party’s Goa-in-charge Mahua Moitra meeting MGP leader Shri Deepak Dhavalikar on Monday.

“An official board resolution detailing the blueprint of the TMC-MGP alliance for #Goa2022 has been signed between the two parties (sic),” the party wrote.

A senior member of TMC also confirmed the formation of the alliance to The Quint, saying that the MGP and the TMC have reached an understanding over 12 seats in the state.

Dhavalikar said that before forging the alliance with TMC, the party was in talks with Congress and AAP as well.

MGP had won three seats in the 2017 Assembly elections and had supported the BJP to form the government in the state when it was short of majority. The alliance, however, broke after two of its MLAs joined the BJP in 2019.