Panaji,  Top state Congress and Nationalist Congress Party leaders have started a conversation about forming an alliance for the 2022 Assembly polls in Goa and a seat sharing agreement would be at "100 per cent", Goa NCP president Jose Phillip D'Souza said on Thursday.

 

Speaking to reporters her, D'Souza also said that the NCP had sent a list of "seven to eight" candidates to his Congress counterpart Girish Chodankar and expressed hope that the alliance would be sealed by November 25.

"We had also spoken to Congress leaders, but finally last night I met Girish, Congress president. We had a healthy discussion on an alliance. Our Central leaders have said that you should start discussion at the local level," D'Souza said.

"We are a national party. Congress is also a national party. Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena have an alliance in Maharashtra. There is an alliance in Delhi too. Our leaders had started (a conversation). We have started late. We have been crying early on. It is easier for a candidate if he knows (about alliance) early on, otherwise there is no scope to work in a constituency," D'Souza also said.

Asked about the possibility of sealing the deal, D'Souza said: "I feel 100 per cent that there will be an alliance. An alliance should happen. If there is no alliance, secular votes will be split.

"We have given our list (of candidates). Let our leaders converse and finalise the list. Alliance should be finalised before the 25th Aof this month. We have given a list of 7 to 8 names."

The NCP currently has one MLA in the outgoing assembly, while the Congress which had 17 MLAs in 2017 has been reduced to a legislative strength of four.