India News | Bit Tough to Popularise Poll Symbol of INDIA Bloc Nominees Among Goa Unit Workers: AAP

Panaji, Mar 18 (PTI) The Aam Admi Party on Monday said acclimatising its volunteers in Goa with the poll symbol of joint nominees of the INDIA bloc is a difficult task in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Notably, the Congress will field its candidates as representatives of the opposition bloc in South Goa and North Goa constituencies who will contest on the party's 'hand' symbol.

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Goa Aam Aadmi Party unit chief Amit Palekar told PTI that the candidate selection is "little delayed" as the constituents of the opposition alliance have given various suggestions to Congress on prospective contestants.

During the campaigning, the AAP has been telling its volunteers that they will have to elect the INDI alliance candidates even though they do not belong to AAP, Palekar said.

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"It is a bit challenging to acclimatise AAP volunteers with the election symbol that doesn't belong to AAP for which they have to vote. This is a bit challenging as far as the alliance is concerned," he said.

Palekar said the AAP has been trying to secure support for the INDIA bloc candidates from the assembly segments that fall under the South Goa and North Goa LS constituencies.

"We have held discussions with AAP volunteers in various assembly constituencies on ensuring vote lead for INDIA bloc candidates," he said, adding that cadres of INDIA bloc constituents are working towards this goal.

Queried on the prospective candidates, he said various suggestions have been given to Congress by the INDIA bloc parties.

The Opposition alliance in Goa consists of the Goa Forward Party, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Shardchandra Pawar), Congress, and AAP.

Palekar said the AAP has forwarded its suggestions to Congress' Goa desk in charge Manikrao Thakre.

"The other alliance partners have also spoken to each other about the candidature and I think a little bit of delay (in announcing the candidate) is because of the suggestions that we have given and those are being positively considered," he said.

The ruling BJP has renominated Union minister Shripad Naik from North Goa. In 2019, Congress' Francisco Sardinha won the South Goa seat.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)