Viresh Borkar
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Viresh Borkar | |
|---|---|
 Borkar in Swindon, UK, in 2026 | |
| Member of Goa Legislative Assembly | |
| Assumed office 10 March 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Francisco Silveira |
| Constituency | St. Andre |
| Majority | 5,395 (33.4%) |
| President of Revolutionary Goans Party | |
| In office 24 November 2021[1] – 10 March 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Manoj Parab[2] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Viresh Mukesh Borkar 29 June 1993 Neura, Goa, India |
| Party | Revolutionary Goans Party (since 2021) |
| Other political affiliations | Aam Aadmi Party (2017–2017) |
| Education | Higher Secondary School Certificate |
| Occupation |
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| Committees |
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| Website | facebook |
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 is an executive member of the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), of which he was a founding member during its time as a non-governmental organization while serving as its president.
Viresh Mukesh Borkar was born on 29 July 1993[3] in Neura, Goa, to Mukesh Dattaram Borkar, a farmer, into a Bhandari family.[4] He has an older brother, Nitesh, an automobile engineer-turned-farmer,[5] and a younger brother, Saiesh.[6] Borkar completed his Higher Secondary School Certificate in 2010 from Father Agnel's Higher Secondary School, Goa.[7] Later, he dropped out of a computer diploma course and took up courses in agriculture and farming.[8]
His grandfather, Dattaram Pandhari Borkar, was a first-generation farmer[5] and freedom fighter who inspired Borkar to follow in his footsteps. In his teenage years, Borkar aspired to pursue a career in business with the aim of achieving a comfortable standard of living.[8]
Political career
Borkar is a former member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He joined as a volunteer before the 2017 Goa Legislative Assembly elections, 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.[8] Together with Manoj, Vishvesh, and others, he formed the NGO Revolutionary Goans on 3 March 2017.[9]
In his electoral debut at the 2022 Goa Legislative Assembly elections, 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.[8]
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$10,000 in 2023), while all other legislators were crorepatis (millionaires).[8] He drew significant support from voters in the Catholic community.[4] 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,[10] road conditions,[11] migrant-related concerns,[12] and the lack of basic amenities within his constituency.[13]
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.[14] He initially issued a notice in July 2022; however, the Government of Goa deemed it unconstitutional.[15][16] 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".[17] 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.[18]
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.[19]
2026 indefinite hunger strike
In February 2026, Borkar led a protest 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.[20] 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.[21] Among those who supported Borkar were fellow opposition legislators Yuri Alemao, Vijai Sardesai, Carlos Alvares Ferreira, Altone D'Costa, Venzy Viegas, and Cruz Silva;[21] environmentalists Claude Alvares and Norma Alvares;[22] and activists and politicians such as Manoj Parab, among others.[23][24]