Goa Forward Party withdraws from BJP-led NDA

Move of GFP, which has 3 MLAs in the 40-member House, will not impact stability of the Sawant govt

PANAJI: The Goa Forward Party walked out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Tuesday, citing “anti-Goan policies” of the BJP-led state government.

However, the move of the GFP, which has 3 MLAs in the 40-member Goa House, will not have any impact on the stability of the Pramod Sawant government in the state since the Vijai Sardesai-led party is not a ruling constituent.

The GFP extended support to the NDA in 2017 to facilitate the formation of the then BJP-led state government under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar.

After Parrikar’s death in 2019, the alliance soured when three GFP ministers were dropped from the Pramod Sawant-led government.

The GFP’s state executive committee and political affairs committee met in Panaji on Tuesday.

Later, GFP president Vijai Sardesai, in a formal letter to senior BJP leader and Union Home minister Amit Shah, conveyed the party’s decision to withdraw from the NDA.