Goa polls: In Poriem, ex-CM Rane's daughter-in-law fights on BJP ticket

It's a seat that veteran Goa politician and six-time chief minister Pratapsingh Rane represented for nearly five decades as a Congress MLA.

While the 83-year-old senior-most politician of Goa is not contesting the assembly elections this time, the Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded his daughter-in-law Deviya Rane from Poriem.

The coastal state goes for voting on Monday.

Talking to PTI, Deviya Rane said it is historic that no legislator (in Goa) has won consecutively so many times from the same seat.

"It is a proud moment for me that I am carrying forward the legacy and hopefully, I will follow his (Pratapsingh Rane's) footsteps and strive to do whatever he has done selflessly and relentlessly for the people of Sattari and Goa," she said.

However, Pratapsingh Rane's retirement was not without controversy. He had announced that he would be contesting the Assembly polls on the Congress's ticket.

But, in December last year, his son Vishwajit Rane, who is in the BJP and currently the state's health minister, had reportedly asked his father to retire gracefully.

Vishwajit Rane had also said he would contest against his father from Poriem.

Pratapsingh Rane had first contested from the seat -- earlier known as Sattari -- in 1972.

Since 1989, the seat has been known as Poriem.

This time, the BJP has fielded Deviya Rane, his daughter-in-law.

"He felt that he should now relax and look after his properties and enjoy life-read and travel. Politics is very stressful. It is a 24x7 job and it is really taxing," the BJP candidate said.

Her father-in-law has maintained that he has been a Congressman and will always remain so.

The Ranes are a known name in Goan politics.

Pratapsingh Rane has been a legislator for 11 consecutive terms, and served as Goa's chief minister six times at different intervals.

His son Vishwajit is the state's health minister since 2017 and has been an MLA from Valpoi since 2007.

He switched over from the Congress to the BJP in 2017 after expressing disappointment over the Congress not being able to form government in Goa, despite having won more seats (17) than the BJP (13) in the 40-member Assembly that year.

The BJP had at that time tied-up with some regional outfits and independents to come to power in the state.

The Congress's strength has now been reduced to just two seats in the House.

Asked whether she has her father-in-law's support, Deviya Rane said, "I don't know what is in his mind. I have his support and everybody's support (in this contest). "

"People are with us. They are with the family...they were with the Congress before," she said, adding that during the recently held zilla parishad elections, both the seats in Poriem were won by the BJP.