MAPUSA
Just when things appeared to be falling into place for the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) under MLA Viresh Borkar’s leadership, the sudden emergence of a rival faction led by former party treasurer Ajay Kholkar has thrown a fresh twist into the regional party’s political calculations.
With Borkar assuming the leadership mantle following founder president Manoj Parab’s decision to step away from active politics, the RGP appeared to be turning its attention towards organisational consolidation and preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections.
Discussions with the Congress on a possible pre-poll alliance had also opened up a wider political avenue for the struggling regional party.
But Kholkar’s intervention has complicated that exercise, bringing the party’s internal power struggle into the open at a time when Borkar needs to project unity, organisational strength and political credibility.
Expelled from the party while serving as its treasurer, Kholkar has refused to accept Borkar’s claim to the leadership and has instead asserted that his faction represents the real RGP.
His announcement that the faction will contest the Assembly elections independently has added a new dimension to the confrontation.
More significantly, Kholkar has announced parallel committees in 18 Assembly constituencies, suggesting that the challenge is not confined to a war of words over who controls the party.
The move raises the prospect of a competing organisational network taking shape just as Borkar attempts to strengthen the RGP’s grassroots presence.
The development also puts a question mark over the political momentum Borkar has been trying to build.
At the party’s organisational meeting at Alto Porvorim Sports and Cultural Club on Sunday, the focus was on expanding membership, strengthening constituency-level structures and preparing the party for the electoral battle.
The stated objective was to build a stronger grassroots network and position the RGP for the 2027 contest.
Kholkar’s parallel mobilisation, however, threatens to divert attention from that agenda and force the party into a battle over its own identity and leadership.
The timing is particularly significant for the Congress, which is exploring an electoral understanding with the Borkar-led faction as part of the broader effort to consolidate opposition votes against the BJP.
If the RGP’s organisational base is divided, the Congress will have to reckon with the possibility that an alliance with Borkar may not command the support of everyone who identifies with the regional party.
For the BJP, meanwhile, a divided RGP could potentially weaken the opposition’s electoral arithmetic, particularly in constituencies where rival factions compete for the same pool of voters.
Whether Kholkar’s faction can translate its committees into electoral influence remains to be seen, but its emergence has already introduced an element of uncertainty into the opposition’s calculations.
There is also the question of which faction will ultimately establish its claim to the party’s identity and organisational legitimacy. Any contest over recognition and control could further complicate the RGP’s preparations as the Assembly elections approach.
