The State cabinet has played out a political masterstroke by deciding to grant lifelong Cabinet status to senior-most Congress legislator Pratapsingh Rane. The move, which BJP considers a way of honouring his monumental service to the State and his 50 years as a legislator, comes as a surprise for the sheer timing of it. Why did the BJP think of this on the eve of the announcement of the assembly election schedule?
The 83-year-old Poriem MLA is the longest-serving MLA and certainly deserves recognition for the service he has put in, both as a legislator and as a Congressman. He deserves credit for standing tall in a party that has been constantly at odds from within and has shown signs of breaking. He deserves recognition for being loyal to his party at a time when legislators have switched alliances and defected. He deserves credit because he hung on till the last, even when the party was in complete disarray and reduced to 2 MLAs from the 17 elected in 2017.
By giving him an honour of a permanent cabinet post, the BJP has virtually made a political statement. It has not only given him a golden handshake but also cleared the party's path for Poriem at a time when there appeared to be a hint of indecisiveness. If we may recall, last month, Sr Rane had expressed his willingness to contest triggering a rift within the family that forced him to retract and speak about retirement.
The move to suddenly bestow such an 'honour' on Sr Rane appears suspicious. If we may recall, on March 25 last year, he was felicitated in the Legislative Assembly for completing 50 years as an MLA. The House spent almost three and half hours applauding his achievements where Chief Minister Pramod Sawant hailed his social work and political life as an inspiration for everyone. That's not all. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet, congratulated him and applauded his passion for public service. He even recalled the interactions between both of them when they served as CMs of respective States. Why did the House not discuss bestowing him with a lifelong cabinet post on that very day? Was this also meant to embarrass Congress and virtually reduce it to one legislator?
Rane has had an unparalleled record as a legislator, a former chief minister for six terms, besides serving as a Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. At age 80-plus he has shown character and a rare fighting spirit. He made his presence felt even in the minuscule Opposition and stood up for the party when the situation demanded. A person with such a strong track record could only blemish it by accepting such political favours from a party which he had ideologically stood apart and countered fearlessly.
A permanent Cabinet post may seem like a perfect retirement plan for a legislator. But it is a call that Sr Rane will have to take conscientiously. There is a choice between retiring gracefully with head held high and bowing down to this political favour from BJP.
