Fresh nominations overlap with Cong picks; some file nominations; leaders hint principal Oppn party kept them waiting ‘too long’
MAPUSA
The Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) on Friday delivered yet another blow to the already faltering Opposition alliance talks, releasing its second list of Zilla Panchayat (ZP) candidates – a move that all but confirms the collapse of the proposed Congress-GFP-RGP front, even though none of the parties have officially declared it dead.
The latest announcement includes candidates in several constituencies where the Congress had already named its nominees earlier this week, making it clear that the parties are now moving independently.
Some RGP candidates went a step further by filing their nominations on Friday.
RGP President Manoj Parab accompanied some of the nominees from Sirsaim, Colvale, Siolim and Anjuna who filed their papers in Mapusa.
Parab said the party will soon release its manifesto, asserting that all RGP candidates are “ordinary Goans who have the drive to do something for the State” and are rooted in local issues through active participation in gram sabhas.
RGP’s St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar was more forthright, declaring the RGP as “the largest regional and pan-Goa party” and openly questioning the Congress over prolonged delays in finalising the alliance.
He said the party remained patient despite the election code of conduct coming into force but could no longer afford to stay on hold.
“It’s important to ask Congress about the alliance. After the code came into place, we waited for days and we are still waiting. But for how long?” Borkar asked, hinting that the indecision had put RGP on the back foot.
“Our candidates need to file nominations and then campaign. We were waiting for the green signal, but the Congress president kept saying tomorrow. How many tomorrows must we wait for?” he asked. With the new list, the RGP has declared 26 candidates so far, firmly signalling that it is heading into the ZP elections on its own.
RGP leaders go silent; alliance fate now hinges on Thakare’s visit
MAPUSA: On Friday, an unexpected development stirred speculation after RGP’s St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar, who had earlier in the morning assured the media that senior party leaders would brief the press in the evening on the alliance issue, failed to hold the promised briefing.
Through the evening, calls and messages to Borkar and other senior RGP leaders seeking clarity on whether the alliance was officially over went unanswered, adding to the sense of uncertainty.
The silence – uncharacteristic given the party’s assertive posture earlier in the day – has prompted some political observers to wonder whether backchannel negotiations may still be underway.
In a parallel development, Goa Congress President Amit Patkar said that central observer Manickrao Thakare is scheduled to arrive in Goa on Saturday.
Thakare, he said, would take a final call on the proposed Congress-GFP-RGP alliance, keeping alive a sliver of hope that not all doors have closed.
Whether this last-minute intervention can salvage the alliance – or whether the RGP’s actions have already pushed it past the point of return – remains to be seen.
