Goa elections: AAP declares Amit Palekar as CM face

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced the name of lawyer-turned-politician Amit Palekar as the party’s chief ministerial face for next month’s assembly elections in Goa.

A prominent lawyer, 46-year-old Palekar will contest the February 14 Goa assembly elections from St Cruz constituency, which is currently represented by Antonio Fernandes from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The constituency covers Palekar’s village, Merces.

Announcing the party’s CM candidate in Panaji, Kejriwal said it chose an “honest man”. “We promised to give Goa a chief ministerial candidate whose heart beats for Goa and who is willing to give his life for Goa. Amit Palekar is the one who is ready to even give his life for Goa. He is an honest man,” Kejriwal said.

“Goa wants a change and AAP has been getting a tremendous response in the coastal state. People are impressed with the Delhi model of governance,” Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister, said.

Palekar, who joined the AAP in October, 2021, is making his debut in electoral politics. His name has been doing the rounds as the party’s CM candidate ever since Kejriwal said in November that the party would pick someone from the Bhandari community. Palekar belongs to the community, classified under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Goa.

“You have seen the dirty politics of the last five years and in the last two months you have seen it fall to such a level that the Goans have begun to feel ashamed. We have entered politics to change this and are asking for one chance to bring a change,” Palekar said.His reference is to the state of defections seen in the state.

As a lawyer, Palekar handled several prominent cases, including defending former minister Francisco “Mickky” Pacheco, who was on the run from the police in connection with the death of his family friend Nadia Joelle Torrado, who died by suicide in 2010. More recently, Palekar represented liquor licence holders, who were battling the Supreme Court’s order banning sale of liquor in the vicinity of national highways. He also represented one of the parties demanding better healthcare facilities during the peak of the second Covid-19 wave in Goa in May last year.

“Other parties have sold Goa. Check their balance sheets. They have only indulged in corruption. People want clean and corruption-free governance. Do we want the same corrupt people who have been running the government or do we want clean faces that can take Goa forward,” Palekar said, while thanking party leader Kejriwal for “this opportunity”.

AAP has already announced it will contest all 40 seats in Goa, which will go to the polls on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

“Palekar needs to show some body of work -- social work -- to really be considered a viable person who can represent the community. He has nothing to show for it. Few can’t fire a few fireworks and say that it is actual work and support yourself as the Chief Ministerial’ face,” BJP’s Anil Hoble, who is also a leader from the Bhandari Samaj, said.

Congress leader Amarnath Panjikar said announcing a “CM face had no meaning” when the party wasn’t going to win a single seat. “They do not have a base in Goa and as such, announcing a CM face holds no significance. Instead, they are only trying to foment divisions in society through claiming justice for the community,” Panjikar said.

“It remains to be seen if AAP will come up to a number of MLAs where they will be in a position to decide who will be the CM, let alone from their own party. I am not necessarily concerned about AAP appointing a Bhandari CM but their announcement of the same has opened a debate where Bhandaris are wondering about their political position and representation in the legislature,” independent analyst Kaustubh Naik said.