Goa Assembly polls: AAP candidates to sign affidavits to avoid defections

Panaji, Dec 30: In an attempt to prevent candidates from defecting the party for another, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which will be contesting next year's Goa Assembly elections, is making its candidates sign legal affidavits mentioning that they will not quit the party to join another one.

The decision is taken by the AAP as it feels that the coastal state is "notorious" for politicians jumping to other parties, an AAP leader said. The AAP has decided to contest all 40 seats in Goa assembly polls, scheduled to be held in February 2022.

"Goa, despite being a tiny state is notorious for political defections," AAP leader Amit Palekar told reporters. "In order to resolve the problem, the AAP candidates will sign a legal affidavit, promising that they will not quit the party to join another one," he said.

He added, "There is not a single party in the state, which can assure that its candidate will not join the BJP. In 2019, as many as 10 Congress MLAs had joined the BJP,"

The AAP leader claimed that Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who was in the first list of candidates of the Congress, quit the grand old party to join the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

"Another Congress candidate is also likely join the BJP soon. Such poaching in the state indicates that the ruling BJP has learned that majority wins cannot be achieved," he added.

The AAP candidates will sign affidavits and it will be distributed among their voters, assuring them they would not join any other party. "If they do so, voters can take a legal action against them," he added.
Hence, Palekar said that candiates will be disqualified as MLAs as soon as they join another party. PTI