After the death of then Chief Minister of Goa Dayanand Bandodkar, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party put their support behind Khalap to contest the By-Election from the Mandrem Assembly seat left vacant by death of Bandodkar.

Khalap was considered the most popular leader of the common man of Goa after Bhau Bandodkar.

[citation needed] After Shashikala Kakodkar left Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and joined Indian National Congress, Khalap became leader of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party in Goa Legislative Assembly.

Under his leadership, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party rose in prominence rapidly, winning eighteen seats in the subsequent elections.

When Khalap became MP on the first day of the house itself in a speech on reference to the late President of India Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Khalap demanded that best remembrance for the late President would be completion of a Bridge at Dhargal on NH 17 whose foundation stone was laid by Neelam Sanjiva Reddy.

All the Lok Sabha members were so impressed that Khalap was successful in getting completion of two bridges, one on NH 17 at Dhargal and another one on Chapora river at Mandrem.

Khalap, later as a Minister in H. D. Deve Gowda Government was instrumental in getting the International Airport for Goa at Mopa.

All the notable work of Goa in IT sector is due to Bhaie, even when he was in opposition, Khalap secured interest of ordinary Goans in every field.

On language issue Khalap is of the opinion that Marathi, Konkani with Davnagari script and Konkani with Roman script, all three should be official languages of Goa and that primary education should be in mother tongue with one paper of English.

[citation needed] Khalap was also the Chairman of the Goa State Law Commission with Cabinet Minister Rank.