Opinion

Will Congress be able to tackle Pratapsinh Rane’s withdrawal from contest in Goa?

Senior Congress leader in Goa Pratapsinh Rane, pitted against daughter-in-law in Poerim, has withdrawn from the contest citing age

The current election season has been bringing to the Congress party a slew of setbacks. We have already seen many senior leaders jumping ship to switch allegiance to other parties such as the BJP.

The Goan scene is also gifting the Congress with setbacks and the latest one doesn’t concern defection by a leader. At the centre of all it is Pratapsinh Rane, one of the most popular leaders of the Congress party. Rane who was fielded by the Congress as its prestigious candidate in the constituency of Poerim, has made it known that he is withdrawing from the contest.

Rane has decided on these lines after the BJP fielded his own daughter-in-law against him for the Poerim Assembly seat. The father-in-law vs daughter-in-law fight for Poerim was beginning to heat up the poll scene, but Rane has decided to withdraw his candidature for the constituency.

Age is the reason, says Pratapsinh Rane

Though speculations are rife that the withdrawal by Rane from the pol battle in Poerim is because he wouldn’t want to fight against his daughter-in-law, Rane has attempted to clear the air saying that his decision doesn’t have anything to do with family pressure and that his decision comes as he is aged.

Questions arise as to why Rane didn’t think of his age issue when he was named the candidate by the Congress party. Anyway, the decision by Pratapsinh Rane is a mighty blow for the Congress as it strives to push ahead to bag the maximum number of seats in the tiny state.

With the BJP fielding Rane’s daughter-in-law Deviya Vishwajeet Rane for the Poerim seat, Rane seems to have had a rethink on whether he should take the battle to his family front.  Now 87 years old, Rane indeed does not of curse have age on his side, but the sudden withdrawal from the contest is intriguing both for the Congress leadership as well as the workers on the ground.

The Congress party in Goa had heavily relied on Rane’s experience, as he has a history of fighting the polls from Poerim for 11 consecutive elections, and he has never lost even once. Considering this winning streak Rane has to his name, his decision to step back would be tough for the party to digest. In the meantime, the BJP must have started celebrating already.

Senior leader’s withdrawal puts Congress in a fix

The Congress had been sitting pretty after Rane’s name was picked as party candidate for Poerim. His experience as the longest serving chief minister of Goa could have come as a major strength to the party, but Rane’s decision leaves the party disappointed.

Politics runs in the family, with Rane’s son Vishwajeet Rane serving as a minister in the Goa BJP government. Vishwajeet Rane, a former Congress party leader, had shifted to the BJP post 2017 national elections. Now his wife and Rane’s daughter-in-law has been named the BJP candidate in his constituency.

Pratapsinh Rane’s withdrawal from the contest is sure to give the Congress top leadership some sleepless nights. Finding an equally string candidate to replace him could prove to be a challenge. We will have to wait to know how the party tackles the situation.

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Sanjeev Ramachandran

A journalist with 23 years of experience, Sanjeev has worked with reputed media houses such as Business Standard, The Ne More »
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