PANAJI
The Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), Goa’s youngest political outfit, is showing signs of strain and at the root of it is an internal face-off between the party president Manoj Parab, often referred to as 'supremo' and its lone legislator Viresh Borkar which on Wednesday spilled into the public domain.
Both Parab and Borkar have 'unfollowed' each other's Facebook accounts, a symbolic move that underscores widening fissures between the duo.
The flashpoint was the sudden removal a few days back of Julius Almeida, panch member of St Lawrence (Agassaim) and a close supporter of Borkar.
A party notice declared Almeida was not a member, accused him of making statements against the leadership, and warned that office-bearers maintaining ties with him would face disciplinary action.
The decision has unsettled grassroots workers in St Andre, Borkar’s constituency, where Almeida enjoys local support.
Borkar, pressed by reporters, when he had made an appearance before the Panaji police following summons related to the stir against TCP Act's section 39A had admitted to “internal discussions”. He however avoided direct criticism of Parab but added that the matter was being debated within the party and a solution would emerge.
RGP sources said, following the notice related to the 'removal' of Almeida, workers (who refer to themselves as revolutionaries) from St Andre demanded Parab’s presence locally to explain the decision.
But Parab called a meeting at the Panaji office where they initially refused to attend, highlighting the trust deficit between the president and the cadre in St Andre, the sources said.
Meanwhile, with reports of the rift between Parab and Borkar spilling into the public through social media on Wednesday, RGP's treasurer Ajay Kholkar has said there was no question of "taking back Almeida since he was never a member of RGP."
Observers see the development as a personality clash between the two tallest leaders of the fledgling RGP and the first signs of factionalism with two camps aligned to the two leaders seemingly taking shape.
While both leaders recently appeared together at a press conference attacking the government on land conversion and Assembly procedures, the Almeida controversy has exposed fault lines that could potentially impact the RGP adversely.
Founded in 2017 and registered as a political party in 2021, RGP sealed a spot in Goa's political landscape at the 2022 assembly elections when Borkar won the St Andre seat, earning the party the tag of a State Recognised Party.
The party since then is engaged with positioning itself as a grassroots alternative to established parties, focussing primarily on Goan identity issues and of late on land issues.
The latest internal discord, however, risks undermining its credibility among supporters who see RGP as a fresh, united force against traditional parties.
The social media “unfollow” between Parab and Borkar is more than digital drama, RGP insiders admit. One prominent party leader said "internal fire-fighting" is in progress and a group of people are engaging with both leaders.
Nonetheless, Almeida’s removal is apparently less about discipline and more about power consolidation, with Parab asserting control and Borkar resisting quietly.
Unless reconciled, the rift could erode RGP’s momentum and affect its foray in the crucial general elections where unity and grassroots mobilisation will be critical.
