PANAJI: Senior Congress leader and Poriem MLA Pratapsingh Rane on Thursday said that his son Vishwajeet Rane, who resigned as Valpoi MLA, is a grown-up man and he can take decisions on his own. He also said that he is yet to take a decision on campaigning for the Congress party in the by-election in Valpoi constituency.
Rane said, “My family affairs do not interfere in political affairs. I have to take my political decision and have a balance between both. I have always remained with Congress, I will remain with it. I may decide whether I should campaign or not.’’
Speaking to reporters after attending the party’s executive meeting in Panaji, Rane said that he never interferes with his son’s political decisions. He said, “It is up to him to take a decision. He is a grown up man, not an 18-year-old youth. I don’t interfere in his political decisions.” He said that even though the Congress party has been in existence for more than 125 years, it was important to adapt to changing times and make a change in the party.
“Many times we find that we cannot live on our laurels we have to move with time. People want fast decisions. I think people have waited for decisions from the Congress party and although we had a mandate from the people, we could not reach Governor’s House in time for various reasons. It may be because of communication failure between the Governor and the Congress party leadership or it could be anything but we have to change, we cannot think about the past,” added Rane.
Cong to file disqualification petition
PANAJI: Reacting to the news of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) inducting Vishwajeet Rane in Manohar Parrikar-led cabinet, leader of opposition Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar said that the Congress party will not be affected, “if tomorrow Vishwajeet Rane becomes a minister in Parrikar’s cabinet.”
He informed that the party has taken legal opinion on the issue of moving disqualification petition against Rane and the process of drafting the petition is at the last stage.
“Lawyers from Goa and Delhi are working on the disqualification petition draft and we will soon file the petition against him for defying the whip,” said Kavlekar.
Meanwhile, senior Congress party leader Francisco Sardinha opined that the party cannot file disqualification petition against Rane as he has resigned from the party membership and as an MLA. “You can disqualify somebody who is a sitting MLA and who has done something wrong, this man has resigned and left the party so it makes no sense in filing any petition against him,” said Sardinha.
During the Congress party executive committee meeting GPCC general secretary Girish Chodankar asked Valpoi Congress block to put together the team at booth levels against Rane for Valpoi by-election. NT
