Goa assembly elections: Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena pre-poll alliance discussions on

PANAJI: Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena, which currently have a governing coalition in Maharashtra, are likely to discuss and finalise a

pre-poll

alliance for Goa over the next two days, ahead of the assembly elections scheduled for February 14.


Sources said senior NCP functionary Praful Patel and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut are likely to arrive in Goa to participate in the

discussions

. Several rounds of talks have already been held between functionaries of the three parties, sources said, but these were inconclusive.

Talks reportedly didn’t proceed further due to uncertainty over a candidate for the Dabolim seat. While NCP state president Jose Philip D’Souza has already begun campaigning in the constituency, Congress had announced the name of former naval captain and Kargil war veteran Viriato Fernandes as its candidate.