AAP mocks Congress over defections, Opposition friction grows in Goa

Panaji: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)' in Goa on Sunday took a swipe at the Congress over the history of defections by its MLAs, sharpening friction within the Opposition ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.

Mocking the grand old party's credibility with the slogan "Ek Kachori Do Samosa, Is Congress Ka Kya Bharosa" (One kachori, two samosas, how can Congress be trusted?), the AAP, in a post on social media, shared pictures of former Congress MLAs who joined the ruling BJP in 2019 and 2022.

In 2019, as many as 10 Congress MLAs switched sides to the BJP, while eight more legislators defected to the ruling party in 2022.


The jibe came two days after senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot addressed the party's ongoing 'Goy Rakhon Yatra' (Save Goa Campaign) in Sankhalim, the assembly constituency represented by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.

The Congress has been using the campaign to mobilise public support ahead of the 2027 polls and present a united opposition front against the BJP-led state government.

Hitting back, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee working president Sunil Kawthankar condemned the AAP for repeatedly targeting his party instead of the ruling BJP.

He noted that the AAP's remark followed the Congress's successful rallies in Sankhalim and Minister Vishwajit Rane's Valpoi constituency.

"This itself speaks volumes about the Delhi-based party's intentions," Kawthankar said.

Taking an indirect jab at the AAP's ally, the Goa Forward Party, Kawthankar added that the real question was whether alliance partners agreed with the jibe and still trusted the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.