New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS): Goa, even being the smallest state in India with just 3,702 square km in area, is going to witness a big political fight as at least eight national and regional forces will be putting all their might to win 2022 assembly polls.

While the BJP is aiming to form government for the third time in the state, the Congress who lost despite being the single largest party in the 2017 elections, is preparing to give a tough fight to the ruling party.

Politicians like the former Congress national president Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP president Arvind Kejriwal visited Goa to strategise for the upcoming elections.

Recently, the Shiv Sena also announced to contest the state polls along with regional parties like the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).

BJP National General Secretary of Goa, C.T. Ravi said: "Such political parties come and go during elections. Neither AAP nor TMC have a cadre or leader or a vote bank which can impact the election outcome. Therefore, they are like guests.

In 2012, contesting only 28 out of 40 seats in the state, the BJP won 21 alone by securing 34.68 per cent votes. However, despite winning a majority on its own, the BJP formed the government with a coalition partner and Manohar Parrikar, the most popular state BJP leader at that time, became the chief minister.

The Congress, on the other hand, received 30.78 per cent of votes but won only 9 seats. MGP won 3 and GFP won 2 seats.

In 2017 Assembly elections, the Congress won 17 seats with 28.35 per cent votes, while the ruling BJP could get only 13 seats despite getting 32.48 per cent votes. However, being the single largest party in the state, the Congress could not form the government and BJP came back to power with the support of regional parties and other Independent MLAs.

Regional parties like GFP and MGP had won 3 seats each. Although, AAP got 6.27 per cent of the votes, they could not win a single seat in the Legislative Assembly.

Talking about rivalry with the Congress, Goa BJP state president Sadanand Tanavade told IANS: "Our main fight in Goa is with the Congress and on some seats it is with the old parties like the GFP and the MGP. But as far as these new political parties like AAP and TMC are concerned, there is no threat to the BJP."

Terming TMC's entry in Goa as detrimental to the prospects of Congress, Sadanand Tanavade said: "As Mamata Banerjee is eyeing Congress vote bank, this will further dent the prospects of the grand old party in the state.

"Mamata Banerjee has not come here to win the elections but to get some votes so that her party can get the national status," he added.

On the question if BJP is going alone in the state, Tanavade said: "No decision has been taken on alliance with any other political party. Only the high command and the parliamentary board will decide."

Ravi, who is optimistic about the victory of BJP, said: "We are doing positive politics as we are driven by the agenda of development. That's why we are not worried. We will form the government for the third time in the state on the basis of development and our performance."

"We have currently 28 MLAs in the state and are working to get more in the next elections," he added.