PANAJI
The results of the Goa Zilla Panchayat elections have dealt a blow to the ambitions of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), both of which had hoped to expand their rural footprint and gone solo.
Despite contesting vigorously, with its National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi campaigning, the AAP managed to secure a sole victory in Colva linked to the assembly segment of its Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas.
Viegas however failed to retain the second seat of his assembly segment losing Benaulim to the Congress.
RGP did slightly better winning both the seats linked to St Andre assembly segment represented by its lone MLA Viresh Borkar -- St Cruz and St Lawrence.
The performance of AAP and RGP highlights the difficulty faced by these new parties to break through in a political landscape dominated for decades by the older parties -- BJP and Congress.
For AAP and RGP, the outcome underscores the challenge of translating visibility and social media traction into grassroots electoral success.
AAP, which has positioned itself as a governance-focused alternative, had campaigned on promises of clean politics and improved local services. However, its limited organizational presence in Goa’s villages appears to have hampered its ability to mobilize voters.
Similarly, RGP, which has built its identity around regional pride and protection of Goan interests, struggled to convert its rhetoric into widespread electoral gains.
Political analysts note that the setback reflects the entrenched strength of BJP’s rural machinery and the Congress’s residual pockets of influence.
The inability of AAP and RGP to secure more seats raises questions about their long-term viability in Goa’s competitive political arena.
The verdict suggests that while both parties may continue to shape discourse, their immediate challenge lies in building sustained grassroots networks. Without deeper penetration into village-level politics, their aspirations of emerging as credible alternatives remain distant.
