I am fed up, Cong has betrayed trust of Goa people: Vishwajit Rane quits party

Controversial Goa legislator Vishwajit Rane quit the Congress on Thursday afternoon, hours after abstaining from a crucial trust vote that BJP chief minister Manohar Parrikar sailed through.

The MLA from Valpoi didn’t rule out joining the BJP in conversation with reporters but insisted that his resignation came because he was disappointed with the Congress leadership.

“The Congress has betrayed the trust of the people of Goa. I am fed up with this party,” Rane told television channels and the Indian Express.

In an interview with ANI, he later said, “Leaders like me will start leaving Congress all over country because people who come as observers are unable to assess situation.”

His comments came after Parrikar won the trust vote with 22 votes in favour in a 40-member assembly. The Congress could muster only 16.

With heavy heart today I have submitted my resignation as member of Congress party. It makes me sad :MLA Vishvajeet Rane pic.twitter.com/PkkvK5a9P5

— ANI (@ANI_news) March 16, 2017

Rane – the son of former Congress chief minister Pratapsingh Rane – has been a strident critic of the Congress’ handling of the Goa government formation. He has blamed the party leadership of dithering and ceding advantage to the BJP, which cobbled together a coalition government despite finishing second.

Earlier in the day, he told television channels that he would be voting for the Congress in the trust vote but once inside the assembly, decided to abstain. Congress MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar told ANI that Rane was untraceable since the floor test. “We tried to find out if he was in the washroom, but could not find him.”

First Published: Mar 16, 2017 16:28 IST