Early life
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]
Politcal 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 lakhorUS$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]
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]
In February 2026, following his return from the UK, Borkar led a sit-in protest with about 100 women at the Town and Country Planning (TCP) office in Panjim. The protest was sparked by the conversion of 84,000 square meters 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 TCP Department. [20]
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