Viresh Borkar

Viresh Borkar
Borkar in Swindon, UK, in 2026
Member of Goa Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 March 2022
Preceded byFrancisco Silveira
ConstituencySt. Andre
Majority5,395 (33.4%)
National President of the Revolutionary Goans Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 July 2026[1]
Preceded byOffice established
President of the Revolutionary Goans Party
In office
24 November 2021[2] – 2023[3]
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byManoj Parab[4]
Personal details
BornViresh Mukesh Borkar
(1993-06-29) 29 June 1993
Neura, Goa, India
PartyRevolutionary Goans Party (since 2021)
Other political
affiliations
Aam Aadmi Party (2017–2017)
EducationHigher Secondary School Certificate
Occupation
  • Politician
  • activist
  • businessman
Committees
  • Government Assurances
  • Public Undertakings
  • Rules
  • Business Advisory
  • Public Accounts
  • River Mhadei
  • Public Universities
Signature
Websitefacebook.com/vireshborkar8899

Viresh Mukesh Borkar (born 29 June 1993) is an Indian politician, activist, and businessman who has served as a member of the Goa Legislative Assembly, representing the St. Andre constituency since 2022. He has served as the national president of the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) since July 2026 and is one of the party's co-founders. He previously served as president of the RGP from 2021 to 2023, before being succeeded by Manoj Parab.

Early life

Viresh Mukesh Borkar was born on 29 July 1993[5] in Neura, Goa, to Mukesh Dattaram Borkar, a farmer, into a Bhandari family.[6] He has an older brother, Nitesh, an automobile engineer-turned-farmer,[7] and a younger brother, Saiesh.[8] Borkar completed his Higher Secondary School Certificate in 2010 from Fr. Agnel's Higher Secondary School, Pilar, Goa.[9][10] As a student, Borkar participated in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement.[11]

Borkar's grandfather, Dattaram Pandhari Borkar, was a first-generation farmer[7] and independence activist who inspired Borkar to follow in his footsteps. In his teenage years, Borkar aspired to pursue a career in business to achieve a comfortable standard of living.[12] After discontinuing his computer diploma studies, Borkar worked in the information technology field before establishing a business in Fatorda that offered computer and mobile repair services, along with CCTV installation. The enterprise was eventually discontinued in 2017 due to market competition from non-Goans. Following this, he was briefly associated with the Aam Aadmi Party.[12]

Borkar later worked at an Apple retail store in Margao to support the activities of the NGO Revolutionary Goans (RG). In 2019, he left the position following encouragement from his grandfather, whom he has described as an influence on his transition into grassroots activism after mentoring him since he was 18. During this period, Borkar also engaged in small-scale sales of items such as clothing and accessories, including T-shirts, caps, and socks, at religious feasts and local festivals across Goa. These included events such as Vasco Saptah, the Bodgeshwar Zatra in Mapusa, and the Navelim Feast, as part of an effort to understand the experiences of Goans involved in the informal trade sector.[12]

Borkar later became involved in farming after receiving training in agriculture. In addition to farming, he undertook community-oriented initiatives that included employment-related projects and public awareness activities. He also voiced concerns regarding illegal commercial operations, land encroachment, and the impact of migration on local employment opportunities in Goa.[12]

Political career

Borkar began his political career as a volunteer for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before the 2017 Goa Legislative Assembly election, where he met future Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) founder Manoj Parab and future RGP general secretary Vishvesh Naik. He subsequently left within a few months, as he was unhappy with the party’s policies.[12] Together with Parab, Naik, and others, they formed the NGO Revolutionary Goans on 3 March 2017.[13]

Borkar in 2024

In his electoral debut at the 2022 Goa Legislative Assembly election, Borkar won the RGP's first seat in the assembly by defeating four-time MLA and former sports minister Francisco Silveira of the Bharatiya Janata Party by a margin of 76 votes. He became the youngest legislator (28) to be elected to the assembly since Mauvin Godinho (25) and Victor Gonsalves (27) were elected in 1989.[12]

Borkar claimed he won the election without relying on money power. He was also the only MLA with a net worth of just ₹8 lakh (equivalent to ₹8.5 lakh or US$8,800 in 2023), while all other legislators were crorepatis (millionaires).[12] He drew significant support from voters in the Catholic community.[6] Borkar is a strong advocate for native Goan rights, which align with many of his party’s core policies. He has advocated for issues such as illegal land conversions,[14] road conditions,[15] migrant-related concerns,[16] and the lack of basic amenities within his constituency.[17]

Evictions from the House and international travel

Borkar first came to the limelight with his introduction of the POGO (Person of Goan Origin) Bill during an Assembly session, which had been one of his party’s core issues prior to the elections.[18] He initially issued a notice in July 2022; however, the Government of Goa deemed it unconstitutional.[19][20] In July 2025, Borkar moved the private member’s bill again during the Monsoon Assembly session, where it was rejected by members of the ruling party. He was later evicted from the House for seeking a definition of "Goan origin".[21] In 2023, Borkar was marshaled out of the House by the then Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Ramesh Tawadkar, for protesting over the River Mhadei issue.[22]

In January 2026, Borkar undertook an international study tour to the United Kingdom. The tour also served as an outreach effort to thank his Goan voters and to introduce his party to the Goan diaspora. He visited areas with a significant Goan population, including Swindon, Bridgwater, Southall, Hounslow, Wembley, and Scotland. In Swindon, he notably visited Swindon Borough Council and Swindon Central Library.[23]

2026 indefinite hunger strike

In February 2026, Borkar led an indefinite hunger strike opposing the conversion of 84,000 square metres (900,000 sq ft) of land in Palem-Siridao village in his constituency from a non-settlement zone to a settlement zone under the provisions of Section 39-A by the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department.[24] The protest soon grew, with other opposition leaders and common people supporting Borkar's demands that the provisions of Section 39-A of the TCP Act be scrapped permanently in Goa.[25]

Among those who supported Borkar were fellow opposition legislators Yuri Alemao, Vijai Sardesai, Carlos Alvares Ferreira, Altone D'Costa, Venzy Viegas, and Cruz Silva;[25] environmentalists Claude Alvares and Norma Alvares;[26] and activists and politicians such as Manoj Parab, among others.[27][28] Borkar ended the hunger strike on the sixth day after the Government of Goa suspended land conversions in his constituency.[29][30]

Personal life

In April 2020, Borkar, then a member of the NGO Revolutionary Goans (RG), had his Mahindra Thar set on fire by unknown individuals. He subsequently filed a complaint at the Pernem Police Station.[31]

Borkar resides in Wada Bhat, Neura, Goa.[5]

Positions held

  • Member of the Committee on Government Assurances (19 January 2023 – present)
  • Member of the Committee on Public Undertakings (19 January 2023 – present)
  • Member of the Rules Committee (31 May 2022 – present)
  • Member of the Budget Committee (31 May 2022 – 24 May 2025)
  • Member of the Business Advisory Committee (30 March 2022 – present)
  • Member of the Public Accounts Committee
  • Member of the House Committee to Study Issues Related To River Mhadei (24 Jan 2023 – present)
  • Member of the Select Committee to Study the Goa Public Universities Bill, 2025 (Bill No. 34 of 2025) (25 September 2025 – present)[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Power struggle deepens in RG as Borkar consolidates control" – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
  2. ↑ "Contribution Report of Revolutionary Goans Party" (PDF). Election Commission of India.
  3. ↑ "RGP press conference excerpt". Goa News Hub. 17 May 2026. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 22 May 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ "Meet the visionary minds behind Revolutionary Goan Party". 12 July 2023. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "Viresh Borkar Personal details". Government of Goa. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  6. 1 2 goanews.com (9 April 2022). "Kejri's 'Bhandari' bubble bursts, community votes beyond caste across Goa". goanews.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  7. 1 2 Aranha, Jovita. "Engineer-Turned-Farmer Grows Yellow Watermelons, Takes Goa By Storm". The Better India. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  8. ↑ ""GUILTY SHOULD BE PUNISHED, EVEN IF ITS MY BROTHER"". www.prudentmedia.in. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  9. ↑ "Viresh Mukesh Borkar(Revolutionary Goans Party):Constituency- ST. ANDRE(NORTH GOA) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  10. ↑ "St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar was nostalgic remembering his days of schooling as he attended the Annual Social Gathering of Fr Agnel College Pillar". Goa News Hub via Facebook. 25 November 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Viresh skips key RGP meeting - The Navhind Times". 19 May 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Inspired by freedom fighter grandfather, Viresh Borkar chose revolutionary path". The Times of India. 19 March 2022. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Politics of Revolutionary Goans Party". The Navhind Times. 14 March 2022. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  14. ↑ "Bambolim project under fire as MLA Viresh Borkar exposes alleged corruption and illegal construction – 7 August 2025 | O Heraldo". 7 August 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  15. ↑ "MLA raises alarm over bad roads in Bardez; CM vows urgent repairs". The Goan EveryDay. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  16. ↑ "'Migrants are the problem': In Goa, radical party that made inroads during Assembly polls prepares Lok Sabha pitch". The Indian Express. 16 February 2024. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  17. ↑ "What I did in 3 years, Silveira didn't do in 20 years: Borkar". The Goan EveryDay. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  18. ↑ "RG promises to pass POGO bill in the assembly – 8 December 2021 | O Heraldo". 8 December 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  19. ↑ "Govt dumps POGO bill after Law Dept terms it as unconstitutional". The Goan EveryDay. Archived from the original on 23 July 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  20. ↑ "RG's lone MLA to introduce POGO Bill in Assembly session starting July 11 – 3 July 2022 | O Heraldo". 3 July 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  21. ↑ "Viresh Borkar evicted from House after ruckus over Goan origin resolution". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 2 August 2025. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  22. ↑ "Viresh Borkar escorted out of House". The Times of India. 20 January 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  23. ↑ "Borkar in UK to build party support among Goans". The Goan EveryDay. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  24. ↑ PTI (21 February 2026). "Cops drag Goa MLA out of govt office after overnight stir; TCP minister Vishwajit Rane calls protesters 'blackmailers'". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  25. 1 2 PTI (24 February 2026). "Protest against land use rules: Goa MLA Viresh Borkar's health deteriorates, hospitalised". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  26. ↑ "MLA ends hunger strike after TCP suspends St Andre zone changes". The Goan EveryDay. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  27. ↑ "FIR Filed Against LoP Yuri Alemao, MLAs And Activists Over Dona Paula Protest - Goemkarponn - Goa News". 28 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  28. ↑ "'No more 39A': Thousands gather outside Rane houses with one voice". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  29. ↑ "State govt suspends zone changes in St Andre, MLA ends hunger strike". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "MLA Ends Hunger Strike After TCP Suspends St Andre Zone Changes". www.prudentmedia.in. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Jeep 'set on' fire, destroyed – 16 April 2020 | O Heraldo". 16 April 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
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