Pratapsingh Rane not quitting party: Goa Congress

Panaji, Sep 16 (IANS) The Congress on Monday dismissed speculation on social media, that former Chief Minister and senior party MLA Pratapsingh Rane had given his consent for his appointment as the new Governor of Haryana.

Goa Congress spokesperson Trajano D'Mello told reporters on Monday that the controversial viral social media post, which suggests that Rane was likely to quit the party and take up a new assignment as the Governor of Haryana was mischievous.

"There is no question about it happening. The post has been engineered by the political chicanery department of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). There is no truth to it," D'Mello told reporters.

Earlier on Monday, soon after the post went viral, Rane also denied the development, saying he was a "loyal soldier" of the Congress party.

Rane, who has in the past served as Chief Minister of the Congress-led governments in Goa, is the senior most MLA and also the father of Vishwajit Rane, who is currently Health Minister in the BJP-led coalition government.

Both father and son are influential in at least three other Assembly Legislative constituencies in North Goa, other than Poriem and Valpoi, which they both represent respectively.

His son, Vishwajit was elected on a Congress ticket to the state Assembly in 2017, but quit the party to join the BJP as Minister subsequently.

Pratapsingh Rane has had a "warm relationship" with the BJP in the past, especially with late Manohar Parrikar.

The Congress is currently reduced to five MLAs in the state Assembly, after 13 MLAs quit the party over the last two years, the latest batch of 10 joined the BJP in July this year.

The speculation of Rane joining the BJP comes at a time, when political rumour mills are rife in Goa, over a further round of political re-alignment which could include a minor reshuffle of the state Cabinet.

Both Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar have, however, denied the developments.