Cong-NCP to jointly contest LS seats in Goa

The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party in Goa on Tuesday formally announced their decision to jointly contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha seats.

But both said details of seat sharing would be worked out by the respective central commands.

At a joint press conference in Panaji, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Luisinho Faleiro and NCP president Wilfred D'Souza said they would fight the polls together 'with the sole aim of ending the BJP rule at the Centre'.

Calling upon 'other secular minded parties in Goa' to come under one banner and fight the BJP, Faleiro said the alliance between his party and the NCP was in the interest of secularism and claimed that the people of Goa had realized that the BJP was a threat to 'the secular fabric of the state'.   

D'Souza, who currently holds the post of deputy chairman of the state planning board, however, said the alliance would not have an effect on his functions in this capacity.

"(Chief Minister Manohar) Parrikar appointed me because he wanted to utilise my experience," he added.