Town and Country Planning Minister of Goa and Goa Forward leader, Vijai Sardesai, has taken over as the president of the party. In a sudden development, Sardesai took over the reins of the party after the former president Dr Renuka D’silva, expressed her inability to continue in her present post.

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Goa Forward will see the third president in nine months since its inception. Their founding president Prabhakar Timble, a noted educationist, and an economist had resigned from the party after it decided to support the BJP in government formation, following an intense anti-BJP campaign before the Assembly polls. 

“We have decided to expand the base of our party without hurting our allies. We need to grow and there is ample scope right now to widen our base,” said Sardesai, after becoming the party president.

Goa Forward is popular even in Congress-dominated constituencies. Asked whether the party would like to focus on Congress strongholds, while the BJP focuses on its constituencies, Sardesai said, “why not?”

He also stressed that although his party’s alliance with the BJP was a result of the circumstances, it may extend beyond five years. “Why should we put a timeline to the alliance? I hope we continue to be allies even after five years,” he said.

Goa Forward is already a part of the NDA and a crucial alliance partner in Goa, as the BJP could not have formed the government without their support.

About the party

Goa Congress Forward drifted towards the BJP after the Congress irked them last minute before the Assembly election by refusing to form a pre-poll alliance with them. Until then, Goa Forward was considered a natural ally of the Congress in Goa.