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Journalism of Courage
Six-time former Goa Chief Minister and 11-time legislator Pratapsingh Rane on Monday took the blessings of Goddess Bhumika at a temple in his Assembly constituency of Poriem. The temple visit – which comes two days after Rane attended a meeting of the Congress’s election candidates – proved to be a sign of hope for party workers awaiting his decision on contesting the upcoming polls.
Rane, however, said there was nothing out of the ordinary in the temple visit along with his wife Vijayadevi. “It is a part of my routine. I visit the temple every week. The decision (on contesting the upcoming election) will be taken in due course,” he told The Indian Express.
Nevertheless, it has fuelled the hopes of Congress workers who felt that it may be an indication that Goa’s senior-most legislator may once again be ready to hit the campaign trail, ahead of the Assembly election in the state on February 14.
On Saturday, Rane had attended a party meeting for the Congress’s declared election candidates at a hotel in Panaji. The party’s senior election observer for the state, P Chidambaram, had said on Sunday: “That seat (Poriem) has been identified with Mr Pratapsingh Rane for nearly 50 years now. It would be presumptuous on our part to tell him what to do. As far as we are concerned, we have announced him as a candidate and we have told him, you contest the election or you suggest a name which can be forwarded to the AICC to be named as a candidate. I think a decision will be taken in a day or two. I am looking forward to his decision.”
Rane, who will soon turn 83, was on December 22 declared as the party’s candidate from his bastion of Poriem, a seat the Congress hasn’t lost in 45 years. Rane himself has been undefeated as a legislator over the last 50 years. In an attempt to wrest the seat, the BJP has fielded his daughter-in-law Deviya Rane, who will make her political debut this election.
It was earlier thought that Poriem would witness a father-son electoral duel after Goa Health Minister and four-time BJP MLA Vishwajit Rane said he would contest the seat for the BJP and defeat his father if the senior Rane did not retire from politics.
The BJP, however, declared Vishwajit as its candidate from his constituency of Valpoi, while Deviya, a doctor, was announced as the party’s candidate from Poriem.
Poriem is still expected to see a pitched battle between the Ranes since Vishwajit is expected to throw his weight behind his wife.
Explaining the choice of the Ranes for the two neighbouring constituencies in Sattari taluka, BJP’s Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis had said in Delhi last week, “As far as Vishwajit Rane is concerned, he resigned, contested an election from the BJP and won, and the Poriem seat was Pratapsingh Raneji’s seat. For 50 years, he has won the seat from the Congress. We had requested Pratapsingh Rane ji this time that since Congress is a declining party and it cannot do good for the country, he should give his seat to the BJP. So either you contest from the BJP or you help the BJP. He agreed at the time and said that his age is advancing so he may not contest and Deviya Rane will contest. So if there has been a decision on a sitting seat, the BJP carries them forward. We don’t make new decisions.”
Later that evening, however, the senior Rane had rubbished Fadnavis’s claims and said his name was being misused by the BJP. “This is not right. My name is being used unnecessarily. Poriem is not my coconut orchard. I have not given anyone’s name (for Poriem). My name is used unnecessarily and nobody should do that. I won’t name anyone. This is false news. Fadnavis and I met many months ago in my house but I did not discuss any politics with him because he is from the Opposition party. Whether I will contest or not is another issue, but this needs to be clarified first,” the senior Rane had said.
