Goa elections 2022: Who is Amit Palekar? AAP's CM candidate for assembly polls

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday announced lawyer-turned-politician Amit Palekar as its chief ministerial face for the next month's assembly elections in Goa.

His name was announced by AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Panaji, "Goa wants a change and AAP has been getting a tremendous response in the coastal state. People are impressed with the Delhi model of governance," he said.

Kejriwal said that this time, the party has given tickets to the fresh faces across the state. He said that Palekar is a new face for Goa. "Palekar is the one who is ready to even give his life for Goa," said Kejriwal.

Meanwhile, Amit Palekar has assured a corruption-free Goa and promised to bring back the glory which the State lost in the last 20 years.

"I am guaranteeing you a Corruption-free Goa. We will get back Goa's lost glory. A Goa everyone dreamt of. Goa which lost its identity in the last 20 years, we promise to get back that Goa. I will keep every word that I have said and that is my guarantee," said Palekar.

All you need to know about Amit Palekar:

Palekar joined the AAP in October 2021 and will be contesting from St. Cruz constituency. He is a lawyer and social worker, who have now been declared as the CM candidate for AAP. According to India Today, he had gone on a hunger strike against Shaina NC's illegal bungalow built on an UNSECO protected site in old Goa.

Palekar belongs to the Bhandari community. The AAP had announced that it will give face from the Bhandari community as its CM face in Goa. Kejriwal denied that by announcing a member of the Bhandari community as the CM face in Goa, the AAP is playing caste politics. "On the contrary, we are correcting the caste politics which was earlier played by other political parties," he said.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)

Published on: Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 02:26 PM IST