Panaji (GOA) Health Minister Vishwajit Rane today announced that his father and senior Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane will not contest the future elections.
Rane, BJP candidate for Valpoi by-election, said that in 2022 election, both the constituencies- Valpoi and Poriem, will be ruled by him under BJP.
Senior Rane is Congress legislator from Poriem constituency and the longest serving MLA. He completed 50 years of his political career this term.
“My father is not going to contest the elections again. This time too, he was not interested to contest but I forced him to contest,” Rane told reporters.
“There is no more Congress in Sattari…in future; both are going to be my seats,” he commented.
Vishwajit said that though his father belongs to Congress party, he is not campaigning against him in Valpoi by election.”He is my father. His well wishes are with me and not with the party,” he said adding that BJP will win both the by-elections- Panaji and Valpoi- with thumping majority.
Congress has fielded Roy Naik against Vishwajit in Valpoi.
“Sattari is completely saffronised now. The support for BJP is increasing,” he said adding that all his supporters who were earlier in Congress are now with BJP.
Sattari taluka was ruled by Congress until 2017 assembly election, after which Junior Rane left the party and joined ruling BJP.