Yes, We're Talking To AAP, Trinamool In Goa: P Chidambaram To NDTV

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today said his party is in touch with both Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party to keep the BJP out of power this time in Goa. Referring to the 2017 polls results, when the Congress failed to form the government in Goa despite emerging as the single largest party, he said the party is "doubly guarding" its house and will not let it "be burgled" this time.  

Asked by NDTV if he was in touch with AAP and TMC, Mr Chidambaram, who is in Goa ahead of the assembly election results, said, "Not me directly, but Goan leaders of our party are in touch with Goan leaders of other parties".

Last month, Mr Chidambaram had dissed both parties, calling them "parties of defectors". "They have allowed the entry of defectors from other parties and fielded them as candidates," he had said, accusing them of splitting the non-BJP vote.

The Congress has rushed its brass to the state where exit polls have predicted a hung assembly and neck and neck fight with the BJP. There have been reports of the Congress rushing its leaders to ring-fence MLAs and moving its candidates to a resort in north Goa.  

The exit polls have also predicted three seats for Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress -- a situation that might push it to the role of kingmaker.  

The Aam Aadmi Party, exit polls said, might draw a blank but the Congress apparently, is not taking any chances, given the outcome last time.

In 2017, the Congress won 17 of 40 seats in Goa in the 2017 election but the BJP, after winning 13 seats, took power with help from smaller parties and independents. Two years later, 15 Congress MLAs switched to the BJP, led by the Congress's leader of opposition, Babu Kavlekar, who was made Deputy Chief Minister by the BJP.

Dismissing reports of Congress ferrying its candidates to a resort, Mr Chidambaram said those are "exaggerated stories". The candidates, he claimed, have been invited to a birthday party of one of the candidates who is celebrating today. He added that the candidates meeting together or having meals is business as usual and no special effort is being made to ensure nobody defects.

"We are asking them to be available to meet up on short notice. In fact, the Congress legislature party is scheduled to meet to elect a leader within minutes after the trend becomes discernible. Therefore, we asked them all to be available to meet within a few minutes after the trend becomes discernible," he said.

Claiming that the candidates fielded this time have a strong relationship with party workers of their blocks who have tirelessly campaigned for them, he suggested that the bond between them will ensure loyalty to the party.

"Every candidate is proud to have carried his the Congress flag in his constituency, and many of them expect to win...The block workers worked day and night to get this election successful. Okay, which means there is a bonding between the MLA and the block workers. And that is the biggest assurance that the candidates will remain loyal to the Congress party. Everyone is sworn to loyalty, right? I have no doubt at all. Every candidate, whether he wins or loses, will remain loyal to the Congress party," he said.

The Congress leader asserted that they will get a simple majority in the elections and will be able to form the government on their own. 

"I'm more confident today than last week because I've spoken to every candidate. We are confident we will have a simple clear majority," he said and added that his party was willing to work with other smaller parties because the goal is to forge a non-BJP front.

Elections to the 40-member Goa Assembly were held on February 14 and the results will be declared on March 10.