Goa assembly polls: Absence of MVA-like alliance would be political suicide, says NCP

State Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Jose Phillip D'Souza on Wednesday said that the absence of a Maha Vikas Aghadi-like alliance in the upcoming Goa assembly polls would be more or less political suicide.

Slamming the Congress for being "least bothered about the alliance", D'Souza said, "BJP has not been able to raise its head in Maharashtra because of unity between the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, why can't they show such unity here? You want to commit suicide in Goa?" The Congress is dragging its feet on the finalisation of seat-sharing between the NCP and the Goa Forward, he added. Goa Forward is a regional party that has joined the Congress-led alliance.

Calling for a unity of opposition parties to take on the ruling BJP, he said, "If we are to send BJP home packing, we all need to come together. TMC (Trinamool Congress), Congress, even Vijai (Vijai Sardesai, president of Goa Forward) have been calling for a coming together. Don't talk, make it happen. Merely talking won't do."

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had said on Tuesday that the party is looking for an alliance with the Trinamool Congress and the Congress for the upcoming polls. The elections to Goa Assembly shall be conducted in a single phase on February 14.