Rane to be opposition leader, Subhash to continue till replacement
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 18 March 2012 17:55 IST
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has decided that former speaker Pratapsing Rane would be the opposition leader.
He would be now formally elected leader of the Congress legislature party.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Shirodkar confirmed this.
The high command has also told him to continue till further arrangements are made.
Shirodkar had submitted his resignation to Mrs Gandhi in Delhi two days ago.
The development clearly implies that former chief minister Digambar Kamat has been completely sidelined in the Congress.
The Congress high command observers however could not reach a consensus on who would lead the nine-member team in the Assembly.
Goa observer Jagmeet Singh Brar and Mukul Wasnik had to go back with one-line resolution, authorizing Mrs Gandhi to decide about the leader.
The meeting, held yesterday, was not attended by Babush Monseratte, his wife Jennifer and his close accomplice Pandurang Madkaikar.
However, the trio has supported former chief minister Kamat as the leader.
But the high command decided otherwise, while selecting seniormost Congress leader Rane.
Rane has been elected to the Assembly for the tenth consecutive time since 1972.
This is the second time he is becoming the opposition leader, incidentally when Manohar Parrikar is the chief minister.
Earlier, Rane was the opposition leader for two years and eight months, from 13 June 2002 to 2 February 2005, during Parrikar’s tenure.
During his 40-year long tenure in the Goa Assembly, Rane has been the chief minister for six times, consistently in four Assemblies since 1980 to 1990, but was toppled within 75 days in 1990.
He was again elected the chief minister in 1994 and then in 2005.
He has also completed two full terms as the speaker, in 1999 during Congress and BJP rule as well as in 2007 during Congress rule.
He had begun his career in 1972 in Bhausaheb Bandodkar’s MGP government, as a minister.
Rane, 73-year old veteran leader, has rarely been deprived of an official car with red light, in his political life since 1972.
TENURES OF PRATAPSING RANE
|
CHIEF MINISTER |
16 January 80 – 7 January 85 |
5 Years |
|
|
7 January 85 – 28 November 89 |
5 Years |
|
|
9 January 90 – 27 March 90 |
78 days |
|
|
16 December 94 – 29 July 98 |
3.7 Years |
|
|
2 February 05 – 4 March 05 |
31 days |
|
|
7 June 05 – 5 June 07 |
2 Years |
|
SPEAKER |
15 June 99 – 11 June 02 |
3 Years |
|
|
15 June 07 – March 12 |
5 Years |
|
OPPOSITION LEADER |
13 June 02 – 2 February 05 |
2.8 Years |
|
MINISTER |
24 March 72 – 11 May 77 |
5 Years |
Shame on the Congress. Instead of taking a pointer from the defeat in the elections they still have to go to the high command for decisions. The fact remains that the Congress has today not only become a party of no morals, but also one with no leaders. Why couldn't the "SECULAR" Congress elect a CLP leader who is young and moreover from the minority community?
Well it goes to show how they think and operate, the entire bunch of a totally disorganized unit cannot reach a consensus on a leader and have to resort to asking the Lady, who is so far removed from the local scene, to appoint a leader. And the result is that an almost senile gent is picked by the high command.
How the folks back in Delhi plan to resurrect the local Goa unit under his stewardship is anyone's guess. But he gets his retain his car with the red beacon so that should keep him happy.
The Congress is a dinosaur and they certainly look after their flock!
73-year old veteran leader should now retire from politics and hand over the responsibilities to the youths of Goa.