Silence from leadership fuels speculation of solo run
MAPUSA
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the already shaky Opposition bloc, the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) on Thursday morning abruptly released its first list of 12 candidates for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections – even as alliance talks with the Congress and Goa Forward Party were still officially underway.
The announcement, made without warning and without consultation, has raised eyebrows across the political spectrum and is widely being viewed as a brash, ego-driven attempt by the young regional outfit to assert its independence, irrespective of ongoing negotiations meant to forge a united anti-BJP front.
What added to the intrigue was the conspicuous silence from the RGP leadership.
Party President Manoj Parab and St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar, who have been central players in the alliance discussions, went completely off the grid.
Throughout Thursday morning, senior party leaders stayed incognito and refused to respond to repeated calls – a silence that only deepened speculation that the party may have already made up its mind to go solo.
Meanwhile, Congress President Amit Patkar, choosing not to escalate tensions, refrained from criticising the RGP’s unilateral declaration.
Patkar said Congress, as the principal Opposition, “will continue efforts to work out an alliance in Goa’s interest till the last minute,” though the RGP’s actions have clearly strained that possibility.
The RGP list includes seven candidates in North Goa and five in South Goa, indicating the party’s intent to mark its territory before seat-sharing talks could even reach a conclusion.
While announcing the list, Parab issued a public appeal seeking support for RGP’s candidates.
Political observers note that the early-morning announcement – executed without coordination, explanation or basic political courtesy – signals a party unwilling to compromise or share space with older Opposition forces.
For many within the alliance camp, the RGP’s move reflects not strategy but swagger, driven more by ego than electoral calculation. “This is a fledgling regional outfit, and even the old warhorse MGP – a far more established regional force – gets only three seats from the BJP in their alliance. How can a relatively new party afford to behave in such a brash manner? It reflects completely immature leadership,” a political observer said.
Whether this standalone posturing helps the RGP grow or ends up fracturing the opposition vote – once again to BJP’s benefit – remains to be seen.
After shocker, RGP says still open to alliance, blames Cong for delays
MAPUSA: Hours after the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) triggered a political tremor by releasing its first list of 12 candidates for the Zilla Panchayat elections, the party’s lone MLA Viresh Borkar late Thursday night clarified that RGP was still interested in an Opposition alliance – but blamed the Congress for the delay in finalising it.
Borkar said the Congress’ prolonged indecision had left the alliance talks in limbo even as the deadline for filing nominations was fast approaching.
“I don’t understand why the State Congress President is taking so long to announce the alliance. We had detailed discussions on seat-sharing. The misunderstanding is entirely due to the delay from the Congress side,” he told this reporter during a late-night call.
He added that the 12 candidates announced by RGP were the very names discussed with Congress during the negotiations, claiming the party had a strong presence in those constituencies.
Borkar said RGP leaders avoided speaking to the media throughout the day only to prevent “statements being twisted” and jeopardising alliance efforts. He also noted that Congress had been awaiting a central observer whose arrival was uncertain due to flight cancellations from Delhi.
The RGP has now given Congress until Friday morning to clearly spell out its alliance plan, after which, Borkar said, the party would be compelled to contest the ZP polls independently.
