Rane cries foul, says he was disillusioned by functioning of Congress leaders

Panaji (Goa) [India], Mar. 16 (ANI): Vishvajeet Rane, who earlier in the day resigned from the Congress Party said he was disillusioned by the manner of the functioning of the party leaders, adding that he took the decision for the interest of the people. "With a heavy heart, today I have submitted my resignation as a member of the Congress Party. It makes me sad. But I had to take this decision in the interest of the people. I was disillusioned by the manner of the functioning of the Congress leaders. People worked hard for us to get us into power and we gave away this opportunity to the BJP because of our mishandling of the situation," Rane told ANI. Asserting that it is important to understand that aggressive leaders like him would start leaving the Congress Party all over the country, Rane said the local leadership as well as the leadership in Delhi has to understand that things are going out of hand. "I have not got any reply from him. I have no hopes for the same. Don't want to comment on him (Rahul Gandhi)," he added. Protem Speaker Siddharth Kuncalienkar who accepted Rane's resignation said, "I asked him whether it is his free will, without any coercion, without any pressure. I also told him to rethink on the resignation. But he was firm on his decision and he clarified to me that it is out of his free will as per his wish. I have accepted his resignation." Days after a group of the Congress' Goa legislators blamed the central leadership for failure to form the government in the state despite being the single largest party after the assembly polls, Rane said that he, along with five to six other MLAs, would quit the party if party vice-president Rahul Gandhi does not respond adequately to the letter written to him by them. Rane and his group of legislators wrote a letter to Gandhi complaining about the senior Congress leadership. In the letter, he said that the senior leaders were responsible for the party losing out on the opportunity to form the government in the state. Rane asserted that it was shocking how despite having people's mandate in the form of 17 seats in the assembly, the situation was mismanaged by the people in-charge of affairs in Goa. He further said that he would meet Gandhi and try to draw out a conclusion. Meanwhile, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who faced the crucial floor test today in the state assembly, established victory as 22 MLAs stood in his support. 16 MLAs opposed Parrikar's candidature as the Chief Minister, while one MLA was absent. Parrikar, who stepped down as the defence minister, was sworn-in as the chief minister of the coastal state on Tuesday evening, along with nine ministers. The BJP bagged 13 seats in the polls, while it claimed the support of three MLAs each of the Goa Forward Party and Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party, besides three independents. The Congress won 17 seats. (ANI)