RGP stays off campaign trail in Ponda despite backing Congress

MAPUSA
Even as the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) has formally extended support to the Congress in the upcoming Ponda by-election, its decision to stay away from active, on-ground campaigning has introduced an element of uncertainty into the electoral contest.

RGP leader and St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar confirmed that neither he nor other senior party leaders have participated in joint campaign efforts with the Congress candidate.

Instead, the party has adopted a more restrained approach, relying on its cadre to subtly communicate its political stance to voters.

“We had made it clear that we will not campaign on the ground. We have told our workers to create awareness among the people about our support to the Congress candidate,” Borkar said, underlining that the party’s backing would not translate into visible political mobilisation.

According to Borkar, this calibrated position was decided early on by RGP chief Manoj Parab. “Our leadership had taken a clear stand from the outset that while we will support the Congress candidate, we will not campaign openly,” he added.

This unusual arrangement raises questions about the actual impact of RGP’s support on the ground. In electoral politics, especially in tightly contested bypolls, the absence of visible campaigning by an ally can dilute the transfer of votes, even if organisational backing exists on paper.

The RGP’s core support base, largely drawn from the minority Catholic community, could still play a decisive role. There is a possibility that this segment may tilt towards the Congress in line with the party’s directive.

However, the situation remains fluid, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also in the fray, offering an alternative choice to the same voter base. As a result, the effectiveness of RGP’s indirect support strategy remains uncertain, leaving the Congress without the full advantage that a more assertive alliance could have delivered in the Ponda by-election.

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GFP's restrained presence raises questions over Oppn cohesion

PANAJI: The Vijai Sardesai‑led Goa Forward Party (GFP) has formally backed Congress candidate Ketan Bhatikar in the Ponda bye‑election but has kept its campaign presence muted, deviating from its high visibility in the 2024 Lok Sabha electioneering when its leaders were visible alongside Congress cadres.

Last week, however, GFP general secretary Durgadas Kamat visited Ponda and held a closed‑door meeting with Congress leader Rajesh Verenkar, reportedly to fine‑tune booth management. Kamat later told the media he was acting on Sardesai’s instructions.

“As per the directions of Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai bab, I, along with the Goa Congress District Congress President for Kushavati Rajesh Verenkar bab, focused on strong booth management for the bypolls in Ponda for our alliance candidate Ketan Bhatikar,” he said in a social media post, sharing a picture of the meeting.

The episode was notable given Verenkar’s own trajectory. A former GFP leader, he contested the Ponda seat on a Congress ticket in 2022, polling over 6,700 votes. He lost out on the nomination for the current bye‑poll to Bhatikar but remains active in the campaign.

GFP’s restrained presence has raised questions about the depth of its engagement, even as its formal support may strengthen Congress’s claim to being the consensus Opposition choice in Ponda, although the Aam Aadmi Party's Gitesh Naik is also in the fray.