Congress Forms Six-Member Committee for Goa Poll Strategy and Alliance Talks

Panaji/New Delhi, Aug 2026 : The Congress party on Monday constituted a six-member Alliance Committee for Goa to coordinate seat-sharing discussions and chalk out a joint electoral strategy with potential alliance partners ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for early next year.

The committee has been tasked with engaging with prospective allies and working out an electoral strategy aimed at strengthening the Congress-led opposition camp in the coastal state. Manikrao Thakare has been appointed chairman, while Girish Chodankar, Yuri Alemao, Anjali Nimbalkar, Capt. Viriato Fernandes and M.K. Shaikh are the other members.

The move assumes significance as Congress seeks to improve its electoral position after a disappointing performance in the 2022 Goa Assembly elections. The 40-member Goa Assembly had gone to polls on February 14, 2022, with the results declared on March 10.

In the 2022 election, Congress won 11 seats, six fewer than its tally in the 2017 Assembly polls. The party secured nearly 26 per cent of the valid votes polled. Its then alliance partner, the Goa Forward Party, managed to win only one of the three constituencies it contested.

The 2022 election also witnessed the participation of parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), neither of which entered into an alliance with Congress or with each other. AAP won two of the 39 seats where it fielded candidates, while the TMC failed to win any of the 26 constituencies it contested.

The Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the single-largest party and subsequently formed the government. The BJP won 20 seats on its own, securing more than 33 per cent of the valid votes and improving its tally by seven seats compared with the previous election.

The Congress’ latest initiative indicates an attempt to avoid a fragmented opposition vote in the next Assembly contest. By creating a dedicated committee for alliance negotiations and poll coordination, the party is seeking to build a broader electoral understanding with like-minded parties.

The political landscape in Goa has remained competitive, with alliances playing a significant role in government formation. In the 2017 election, Congress had emerged as the largest party but failed to secure a majority. The BJP subsequently joined hands with the Goa Forward Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party to form the government.

Manohar Parrikar became Chief Minister following the formation of the BJP-led government. After his death, Pramod Sawant succeeded him as Chief Minister and has continued to lead the state government.

With the next Assembly election approaching, the Congress is expected to intensify discussions with potential allies as it seeks to consolidate opposition support and mount a stronger challenge to the BJP.