AAP becomes first political party to announce candidates for Goa elections

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has become the first political outfit in Goa to announce the names of candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party Wednesday announced that state AAP general secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar would be their candidate from the North Goa Parliamentary constituency.

The party had announced Elvis Gomes as their candidate from the South Goa Lok Sabha seat last week. AAP had fielded 39 candidates in the 2017 assembly elections in Goa, but drew a blank. The coastal state has a 40 -member assembly.

"In a meeting of AAPs North District Committee held today, it was unanimously resolved to propose the name of Pradeep Padgaonkar as party's candidate in North Goa Parliamentary Constituency," a party release said here. While Padgaonkar is a journalist-turned-politician, Gomes, a former bureaucrat, was the partys chief ministerial face during the 2017 Goa assembly polls.

Talking to PTI, Padgaonkar said the party is going to emerge victorious in both the Lok Sabha seats. He said the AAP has learnt from the mistakes it had committed during the 2017 assembly elections and corrective measures are being taken. Padgaonkar claimed the party has been receiving good support from the voters, who are looking at the AAP as the party which can give corruption-free governance.

(With inputs from agencies.)