Executive had agreed for the merger of the party within the Indian National Congress. This would mean the demise of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. Kakodkar stated that the reason behind her joining the Indian National Congress was that she wanted to be in the mainstream. Kakodkar's announcement was opposed by many senior leaders of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. On 23 March 1980, a meeting was held under the leadership of Mukund Shinkre (former Lok Sabha Member of Parliament) where the party workers and leaders including M. S. Prabhu decided not to permit the merger of the party. A temporary committee was established under the Presidency of Mukund Shinkre. The two MLAs of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (who had not joined the Indian National Congress) opposed Kakodkar's stance and made every attempt to ensure that the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party survived. These two MLAs were Ramakant Khalap and Babuso Gaonkar. Ramakant Khalap was appointed as the Opposition leader in the Assembly. Belekar points out that if the merger of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party had occurred in 1980, the Legislative Assembly would virtually have no Opposition members at all. The Assembly then had 20 MLAs of the Indian National Congress and seven MLAs of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, while the remaining three were Independents. If Khalap and Gaonkar had joined the Indian National Congress along with the remaining five MLAs of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, there would exist no Opposition at all in the Assembly. Kakodkar aimed to secure positions within the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee organisation for herself and her supporters. But Wilfred de Souza threatened to resign if he was deprived of the position of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee's president. Kakodkar was not comfortable in the Indian National Congress and she quit the party. Formation of the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Gomantak Party Kakodkar decided to return to the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. The party was then led by Mukund Shinkre. A historic meeting to facilitate Kakodkar's return to the party was organised by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party's stalwarts such as Dr. Wilfred Menezes Mesquita, J. J. Rodrigues and Shankar Bandekar. But the talks failed and Kakodkar established a new political party called the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Gomantak Party of which she became the President. Kakodkar contested the 1984 Assembly elections from both Canacona and Marcaim constituencies as an independent candidate but lost the elections. Return to Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party Kakodkar rejoined the Maharashtrawadi