Pressure of 6 Congmen mounting to quit Cong: Vishwajeet
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 13 March 2017 22:26 ISTCong Valpoi MLA-elect Vishwajeet Rane denied the news floating in the national media that he has already quit the Congress. But he did not deny the possibility of quitting as a group.
The Junior Rane also clarified that his father Pratapsing Rane is not part of it.
Vishwajeet told goanews.com that pressure is mounting on him from at least six more MLAs to quit the party and form a separate group.
“I am in touch with the party leadership in Delhi and has not succumbed to the pressure only because of our personal relation with the Gandhi family”, he said.
But he also said he as well as a group of Congress MLAs is fed up with the way in which the state of affairs is managed by the Congress leadership in Goa.
“At least 13 out of 17 MLAs are upset with the unwarranted delay in electing the CLP leader yesterday”, he said.
It is learnt that there were two separate exercises conducted to elect the CLP leader.
The first one was to elect the leader when they wanted to stake a claim, for which a secret ballot was held.
But before that came the news of the BJP staking the claim along with MGP, Goa Forward and two independents.
Then the second exercise was done after which Quepem MLA Babu Kavalekar was elected the new CLP leader.
Sources disclose that this was the promise made by party president Sonia Gandhi to Babu when she had gone to his house during her stay in Goa, before election.
But Vishwajeet claims he was offered to take over as the CLP leader, which he refused, due to which it went to Babu.
As the Congress missed the bus of forming the government, Vishwajeet says a group of total 7 MLAs is exploring the possibility of quitting the party and forming a separate group.
As the Congress is having 17 MLAs, it would require minimum 11 to 12 MLAs to officially split the party with one third.
As such, Vishwajeet said they would resign and face a by-election.
Those Candidates who are won in their respective party Symbol and they want to go in other party must first Resign and Re-contest in other party’s symbol and win and go to that party. Without resigning and without re-contesting should not be allow to jump to other party. This is direct cheating with the voters.