Amit Palekar Named Aam Aadmi Party's CM Face for Goa Polls

The party will contest all 40 Assembly seats in Goa, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, on Wednesday, 19 January, announced lawyer and social worker Amit Palekar as the party's chief ministerial (CM) candidate for the upcoming Goa Assembly polls.

(Photo Courtesy: AAP/Twitter)

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, on Wednesday, 19 January, announced lawyer and social worker Amit Palekar as the party's chief ministerial (CM) candidate for the upcoming Goa Assembly polls.

The party will contest all 40 Assembly seats in the state, Kejriwal further said.

"Amit Palekar is an advocate by profession and comes from the Bhandari community."

Arvind Kejriwal

Though Goa was the first state in India to elect a pro-Bahujan government in its inaugural state, the last time a Bhandari legislator became the chief minister of Goa was in the early 1990s.

"He's (Palekar) Educated, Honest, takes everyone along [sic]," Kejriwal further said.

"He is ready to lay down his life for Goans."

Stating that "today marks a new beginning in Goa's politics," Kejriwal said:

"Fresh faces, real Aam Aadmis of Goa will now end the cycle of 'Paise se satta, satte se paisa' of these corrupt parties [sic]."

Meanwhile, expressing his gratitude to Kejriwal, Palekar said:

"I assure you that I will not fail you, the party, or the people of Goa."

The state of Goa is slated to go to polls on 14 February.