The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on November 23, 2025, released its first list of 22 candidates for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections in Goa and declared it will contest all 50 seats across North Goa (25 seats) and South Goa (25 seats)—the party’s most ambitious rural foray in the state yet.
The initial list includes 11 candidates each from the North and South Goa districts, featuring a mix of youth, women, social workers, and former Congress and independent panchayat members. AAP leaders described the selection as an effort to mirror Goa’s “social diversity” and project the party as a credible alternative focused on grassroots governance.
Party spokespersons framed the campaign around local service-delivery failures—erratic water supply, potholed roads, power outages, and alleged corruption in village-level institutions—accusing the ruling BJP of curtailing panchayat powers while development “remains confined to publicity hoardings.”
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“This is not just about Zilla Panchayat seats; it is about giving villages a voice that actually delivers results, the way we have shown in Delhi and Punjab,” a senior AAP leader said, adding that candidates have been trained on the 73rd Amendment, devolved funds, and monitoring of central and state schemes.
The Zilla Panchayat polls, expected to be notified soon by the Goa State Election Commission, are seen as a crucial midterm test for all parties. The BJP currently dominates most rural bodies, while Congress and regional outfits like Goa Forward and MGP also hold pockets of influence. AAP, which won two Assembly seats and 6.8% vote share in 2022, views a respectable performance as essential to building booth-level machinery ahead of future contests.
With the remaining 28 candidates to be announced shortly, AAP has positioned the early momentum in candidate declarations. The elections will decide control over district-level planning committees and crores in rural development funds, making them a key indicator of shifting political currents in Goa’s villages and semi-urban belts.
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