Congress pitches Priyanka against Mamata for Goa poll battle

A multi-cornered battle in Goa elections turns interesting after Congress fielded Priyanka Gandhi against Mamata Banerjee’s TMC in the poll bound state, writes Niyamika Singh.

New Delhi: Goa is going to witness an interesting woman against woman electoral battle in the upcoming Assembly elections, which are scheduled in year 2022. While Mamata Banerjee is trying hard to penetrate Trinamool Congress in Goa, Congress has fielded Priyanka Gandhi in the state.

On Friday, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra kickstarted Congress' campaign in Goa, keeping the focus on youngsters and women in the state. Applying the same formula as in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress General Secretary announced that 30 per cent reservation will be given in jobs for women if her party is voted to power in the upcoming assembly polls in Goa.

While BJP has been ruling the state for a decade, TMC has arrived in Goa as part of its bid to expand its national footprint. On the other side, Congress is struggling to remain at the position of principal contender amid the mass exodus of its leaders.

Congress faced its biggest blow after former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro resigned as MLA and from the party membership in September this year and subsequently joined TMC, after which he was appointed as party's national vice-president.

In an apparent dig during her address in Goa, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Some parties are entering Goa, not to work for Goa; but to expand themselves."

Priyanka not just interacted with tribal women, but she also offered prayers at the Saptakoteshwar temple to woo Hindu voters in the state.

Meanwhile, TMC is facing a hard-time as its "anti-Hindu" image is working against the party in Goa, as per the political analysts. To counter this image, even Mamata Banerjee had visited three temples during her visit to Goa in late October.

Goa is going to witness a multi-cornered battle as Congress is trying to get a benefit of "anti-incumbency" in the state, there is also an apprehension about how the voters will perceive the desertion of around a dozen MLAs from the party, while TMC is trying to shed its "outsider" image by forging an alliance with the regional parties.