Grassroots push to contest grows; party rules out pre-poll alliance
MAPUSA
With the Ponda bypoll scheduled for April 9 gathering momentum, the political landscape in Goa is heating up, even as the regional Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) continues to keep its cards close to its chest.
While three national parties – BJP, Congress and AAP – have already announced their candidates, the RGP is yet to take a final call on whether it will enter the fray.
MGP, the oldest regional party in the State has already decided to back the BJP candidate in the by-election.
RGP’s lone MLA, Viresh Borkar, said that internal consultations are underway and a decision is expected soon following a crucial core committee meeting scheduled for Friday.
Borkar indicated that initial feedback from the party’s grassroots suggests a strong inclination among workers to contest the bypoll. “We have held one round of discussions with our workers and key leaders. Many of our workers are keen that the party should contest the bypoll. However, no final decision has been taken yet,” he said.
The St Andre MLA also ruled out any possibility of a pre-poll alliance, clarifying that the party is not engaged in talks with any other political formation.
“There has been no indication of alliance discussions with any other party, so the question of an alliance does not arise,” Borkar added.
His remarks assume significance amid speculation that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) could explore an electoral understanding with the RGP for the Ponda seat. However, the latest statement appears to shut the door on such a possibility, at least for now.
The RGP had put up a notable performance in the 2022 Assembly elections in Ponda, where its candidate Sanish Tilve secured 1,777 votes, accounting for nearly 7 per cent of the vote share.
This performance has added weight to internal demands within the party to contest the bypoll independently.
As the countdown to polling day begins, all eyes are now on the RGP’s core committee meeting, which is expected to determine whether the regional outfit will join the electoral contest and potentially influence the dynamics of the Ponda by-election.
