In a blow to the Congress party in Goa, Vishwajit Rane, former MlA and son of veteran Congress leader Pratapsingh Rane joined the BJP on Thursday.
Rane, who’s entry into the BJP was being speculated in the State media for the last several days now, said that while he had sought his father’s blessings before his move to join the BJP, he would be taking on the Congress, in his father’s own constituency of Poriem in North Goa’s Sattari sub district.
“We will work to strengthen the BJP in Sattari. We will ensure, that the lotus blooms in Sattari and that's why I have entered the BJP, to strengthen the hands of the honorable chief minister and strengthen the party in my taluka (sub district),” Rane said.
When asked if he had sought his father's permission before joining the ruling party, Vishwajit said: “I have taken his blessings and joined the party. I took his blessings before I met the chief minister. I have told him. He is my father I have taken his blessings”.
Rane was a former legislator from Valpoi assembly constituency, which along with Poriem assembly constituency, represented by his father, are part of the Sattari sub district.
Rane resigned as MlA and from the Congress party on March 16, while accusing the Congress leadership, including All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijaya Singh and state Congress president luizinho Faleiro, of being sluggish in its moves to form a government in the coastal state, despite emerging as a single largest party with 17 seats in the 40 member Goa legislative assembly.
Rane's dramatic resignation came on the day of the floor test which was won by the BJP 21-16, with the 13-member BJP winning the test with the help of Independent MlAs and two regional parties.
Rane's exit from the Congress brings the party's legislative strength to 16 and his joining the BJP takes the ruling party's legislative headcount to 14.
Rane said that he had joined the BJP to strengthen Parrikar's hands and that he had not made a request for a ministership with the chief minister yet.
“That is the chief minister's prerogatives,” he told The Pioneer. Rane is likely to re-contest by-polls in Valpoi assembly constituency, which are necessitated due to his resignation as MlA.