I will demolish Congress party in Goa; Rahul Gandhi, save your flock: Vishwajit Rane

Panaji: No sooner than two Goa Congress MLAs quit the party to join the BJP, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who was once a loyal Congressman himself before switching sides, issued a warning to Rahul Gandhi, said reports on Wednesday. “I will demolish the Congress party. They will be reduced to 10 by Christmas-New Year. Save your flock. That is my message to Rahul Gandhi. Leaders in the Congress are tired of Rahul Gandhi,” Rane said to reporters.

Congress legislators Subhash Shirdokar and Dayanand Sopte tendered their resignations to the Governor. The duo, which represents the north Goa, joined the BJP and their resignation means they will have to fight by-polls later. Shirodkar, a former Goa Congress president and a six-term MLA, represents Shiroda while Sopte defeated then chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar from Mandrem in last year’s polls. That was the first instance of an incumbent chief minister being trounced, said the agency.

Speaking to media from New Delhi, where they will formally join the BJP in presence of party president Amit Shah, Shirodkar and Sopte attributed their decision to the cause for “development” in



their constituencies. “My main issue is the development of the state and constituency,” said Shirodkar, adding that he had resigned as an MLA and would seek re-election as a BJP nominee. “I had to take the decision because of pressure from my constituents. They elected me as their MLA with a lot of expectations, but there are limitations on work that can be done as an opposition legislator,” said Sopte, who was earlier with the BJP.

Earlier in the week, even as the Goa BJP stated that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was recovering and that he would complete his five-year term, the Goa Congress pursued relentlessly its dream of forming the government. ANI late on Monday put out the letter that the state unit had written to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking his intervention. The letter says, “Indian National Congress (INC), that is still the single-largest party, is willing to shoulder the responsibility of forming the government. We’ve requested the Goa Governor to dismiss the BJP-led state government and consequently, invite the Congress to form the government and prove the majority that we possess.” But this was before the two MLAs quit the party.