New Delhi: Goa is among the five states, along with Uttar Pradesh,h scheduled to hold assembly elections in February-March 2027. Preparations for the Goa assembly elections have already begun at the grassroots level. Political parties gearing up to contest the polls have started laying the groundwork for their campaigns in the state. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also ready to throw its hat into the ring.
On Tuesday, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal visited Goa and launched a scathing attack on the BJP government. He held a town hall meeting in the state to address concerns regarding E20 petrol. Kejriwal remarked that the BJP believes the people of Goa will inevitably vote for them and that their government will return to power; he noted that the party suffers from the arrogance of thinking the public has nowhere else to go but to them.
Kejriwal Makes a Bold Claim
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that if the BJP loses the assembly elections in Goa and UP this time, the E20 policy would be rolled back within five days of the election results being declared on March 10. He further claimed that 8 per cent of people in Goa are facing significant distress due to E20 petrol.
“87 per cent of people own two-wheelers, and 47 per cent use four-wheelers. If everyone collectively resolves not to vote for the BJP this time, I believe the decision on E20 will be reversed within five days. If that does not happen, I will quit politics,” he said.
AAP convener Kejriwal asserted that defeating the BJP in Goa this time would lead to the withdrawal of the E20 policy within five days. He promised that if his party forms the government after March 10, 2027, a ban on the sale of ethanol-blended petrol in Goa would be implemented within the first five days.
E20 Damaging Engines: Kejriwal
On Monday, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal alleged that vehicle engines are frequently breaking down due to E20 petrol blended with ethanol. He also pointed out that the fuel reduces vehicle mileage. He made this claim based on the public response to a video he had released regarding E20.
The former Chief Minister stated that this policy has led to a significant rise in sugar prices. He noted that sugarcane equivalent to 2.5 million tonnes of sugar was diverted for ethanol production. Meanwhile, the central government has already dismissed these claims made by the opposition, holding the industry responsible for the hike in sugar prices. The Centre maintains that there are sufficient sugar stocks available to meet domestic demand.
