Cong, BJP main contestants in Goa; AAP, TMC will split non-BJP vote: Chidambaram

New Delhi, Jan 13: Asserting that the Congress and the BJP are the two main contestants in Goa, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said that if the AAP and TMC fielded candidates and secured some votes in the upcoming assembly polls, in effect they will be splitting the non-BJP vote.

Chidambaram, who is the Congress' senior election observer for the Goa Assembly polls, also said that some days ago, the TMC hinted that it would like to form an alliance with the Congress and other parties and the AICC leadership was aware of the TMC's desire and may have responded to it, but he has "no official word or instruction" from the AICC on the matter.

In an interview with PTI, Chidambaram said there is a strong and intense "anti-BJP, anti-incumbency wind" blowing in Goa, and his party would appeal to the electorate that "Goa should be ruled by Goans".

Asked about the TMC's strategy of taking in Congress leaders and then recently hinting at an alliance with all Opposition parties including the Congress, Chidambaram refused to directly comment on their strategy but said the Congress was "dismayed" when the TMC "lured" its MLAs to its fold.

"We received credible reports that the TMC was actively poaching our members including block-level leaders, sarpanches, etc.," he said. "In the early days, the TMC's general secretary had declared that the TMC would contest in all the 40 seats and their aggressive approach seemed consistent with that objective. Some days ago, however, the TMC hinted that it would like to form an alliance with the Congress and other parties. I think the AICC leadership was aware of the TMC's desire and the AICC leadership may have responded to TMC," he said.