Parab douses RG’s ‘uzzo’ as he quits party and politics

Panaji: Nine years after he founded a hyper-local party that stood on anti-migrant plank, Revolutionary Goans’ combative president Manoj Parab announced his resignation from the party and said he was also quitting active politics as he had failed to control internal politics and groupism.

Throwing RG into a turmoil that threatens to douse its ‘uzzo’ (the party’s rallying cry) ahead of the 2027 assembly elections, Parab said: “I think I failed to have the control I should have had and take the decisions I should have taken. That is why the party is in this situation today. I am submitting my resignation as the party president and am quitting political life.”

RG made a significant mark in the 2022 assembly elections, contesting 38 of the 40 seats and polling nearly 10% of the votes, debuting in the assembly by winning the St Andre seat.

Originally founded as a grassroots NGO by Parab, St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar, and Vishwesh Naik, the party said it espoused causes such as Goan identity, land grab, and employment for locals.

Parab and Borkar have had a bitter falling out over the last couple of months. Borkar, who is travelling and unavailable in Goa, said that he will discuss the development with party functionaries, his own supporters and the core executive members. Borkar said that any decision affecting the party cannot be taken without consulting the founding members and workers.

Parab said his party members have been trying to mould him by asking him to stop being aggressive and angry and instead behave like a “traditional” political party president, something that he is unable to do.

“I have never been aggressive against my voters or against the common Goan. My aggression has been against the political system that has finished Goans,” said Parab.

Later in the day, the party’s office-bearers and core executive members decided to accept Parab’s resignation. “This is neither a prank nor a drama. We sent a meeting invitation to our MLA Viresh Borkar but he did not respond,” said RG treasurer Ajay Kholkar.

“Nobody else has resigned. The party remains functional. We are the third largest regional party in Goa. We have recognised status and a party symbol. We know how to take the party ahead. All arrangements are in place,” said Kholkar.

RG transitioned into an officially registered political party in Nov 2021 with the ‘football’ symbol.

Parab had recently claimed that certain elements within the party were attempting to create divisions along communal lines.

The party had issued a show cause notice to Borkar, which the MLA had ignored.