Four-hour long meeting ends without final deal, RG puts 11 conditions including Person of Goan Origin agenda on table

Panaji, Oct 30 - The opposition arithmetic in Goa for the 2027 assembly elections has started taking shape, with the Congress and Revolutionary Goans (RG) formally opening seat-sharing talks.

RG Seeks 16 Seats, Wants Commitment First

The first round of meeting held late Wednesday night lasted for over four hours and concluded without a final agreement, but it has set the tone for what could be the most crucial alliance in the state. Revolutionary Goans has demanded no fewer than 16 seats to contest.

According to sources who were part of the meeting, RG was very firm on one point - the number of seats must be finalized first before discussing which constituencies they will contest.

"RG's stance was very clear — it wanted a commitment on the number of seats that would be allotted to it, but there was no clarity on which seats it wants to contest," a senior leader present in the meeting said.

Why 16 Seats? RG Cites 2022 and 2025 Performance

The demand of 16 seats is not random. RG sources claim that in the 2022 assembly elections and the 2025 Zilla Panchayat elections, Congress trailed behind RG in at least 16 constituencies. The party believes it has a stronger ground presence in those areas, particularly in Salcete, Bardez and Pernem belts.

There is another reason behind the 16-seat demand. To retain its election symbol, RG needs to secure more than 8% vote share in the state. Contesting on a higher number of seats will help the party achieve that target and remain a registered regional force.

Congress In Wait and Watch Mode

Congress, however, is treading cautiously. The grand old party has its own sitting MLAs and a long list of aspirants. Party leaders feel that conceding 16 seats in one go will be difficult, especially in constituencies where Congress has traditionally been strong.

The meeting was held under the observation of AICC in-charge Manikrao Thakre as part of Congress's Political Affairs Committee exercise. The party is currently on its 27-day 'Goy Rakhonn Yatra' to connect with voters.

RG's 11 Conditions for Alliance

Beyond seat numbers, Revolutionary Goans has placed 11 core conditions for the alliance to happen.

The key demands are

• Implementation of Person of Goan Origin bill

• Scrapping Section 39A of Town and Country Planning Act

• No ticket to MLAs who defected to BJP

• Legal commitment against post-poll defection

RG has also made it clear that the Common Minimum Programme must be based on these 11 points. Without accepting this agenda, there will be no alliance talks.

What Next? Grand Alliance on Cards

Another point discussed in the meeting was the possible entry of Goa Forward Party (GFP) into the alliance. Congress clarified that GFP has not formally approached them yet, but if they do, seat allocation will become more complex.

Political observers in Goa believe a Congress-RG alliance is crucial to defeat the BJP. In 2022, opposition votes got divided between Congress, RG, AAP and GFP, which helped BJP win despite a lower vote share. If opposition parties come together this time, the contest could be very different.

The next round of talks is expected within a week. Both sides have agreed to come back with a more concrete list of winnable seats.

For now, the message is clear - Revolutionary Goans wants to be treated as an equal partner, not a junior ally, and Congress will have to accommodate if it wants a grand alliance in Goa.