Congress, NCP announce alliance in Goa

PANAJI: Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) announced their alliance in Goa here today for the Lok Sabha polls, with the latter pledging support to both candidates fielded by the former.

Local leaders of both parties addressed a joint press conference today announcing their pre-poll alliance to keep BJP at bay.

Goa NCP president Nilkant Halarnkar told reporters that the Sharad Pawar-led party's leaders have asked the Goa unit to support Congress candidates in both North Goa and South Goa constituencies for Lok Sabha polls.

The NCP, which had earlier declared its plans to contest in Goa independent of the Congress, said that the earlier announcement was made because talks between both the parties were "yet to begin".

"We had decided to contest independently because talks had not begun between the high commands of both parties and we were asked to keep our candidates ready for both constituencies," Halarnkar said.

Goa Congress president John Fernandes said both the parties are together to work against communal BJP candidates.

The Congress has announced Ravi Naik as its candidate from North Goa and Aleix Reginald Lourenco from South Goa.