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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday asserted that Goa is witnessing a strong undercurrent for political change ahead of the upcoming Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections, claiming that voters have placed their faith in AAP candidates and that the party is set for a decisive performance.
Addressing a public meeting in South Goa after offering prayers at St Anthony's Church, Kejriwal launched a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, accusing both parties of perpetuating "family-based politics" and corruption. He alleged that Goa's political power has remained concentrated within around 15 families since liberation, leaving ordinary citizens excluded from meaningful political representation. Kejriwal said AAP stands apart by giving opportunities to candidates from non-political backgrounds, citing party MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva as examples. According to him, AAP represents an alternative model of politics focused on honesty, service delivery and grassroots participation. The AAP leader also criticised the BJP government's record on governance, particularly infrastructure and corruption. Referring to poor road conditions across the state, Kejriwal said that even the road outside the Chief Minister's office remained in disrepair, questioning the government's ability to address larger public infrastructure issues. He alleged that the state administration functioned on a "hafta-vasooli" (extortion) system, claiming that bribes were required for routine services such as shop licences, electricity and water connections. Drawing comparisons with Punjab, where AAP has been in power since 2022, Kejriwal said the party's governance model had prioritised transparency and public welfare. He claimed that 55,000 government jobs had been provided in Punjab without bribes and that large-scale road construction was underway due to savings from curbing corruption. Kejriwal further accused the BJP and Congress of maintaining an "informal alliance", alleging that leaders and their family members frequently switched parties to secure electoral tickets. He warned voters that supporting Congress indirectly benefited the BJP and urged them to back AAP for what he described as clean and accountable governance. Highlighting initiatives by AAP MLAs in Goa, Kejriwal referred to free health clinics, community farming projects and employment facilitation efforts undertaken despite the party not being in power. He described the Zilla Panchayat elections as an important political indicator ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls and appealed to voters to support AAP if they wanted corruption-free governance and development in the state. (ANI)
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