A barrage of critical words by Health Minister and Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane against the senior-most legislator and standing Poriem MLA Pratapsingh Rane caught the attention of people across the State, leaving many to wonder if this was yet another political ploy in an election season.
On Tuesday, moments after Sr Rane announced his intentions to contest from Poriem, Vishwajit went public asking his father to retire gracefully and cautioned that "it will be very messy". A resolute Sr Rane came out in the open and said his workers want him to contest. In all humility, he added: The party leadership will eventually decide whether he should contest or not. On Wednesday, the Congress for once reacted swiftly and announced Sr Rane as the party's Poriem candidate, after having ignored his inclusion in the first list released last week.
Pratapsingh Rane has an iconic record of being the longest-serving MLA having won 10 assembly elections since 1972 and has the distinction of holding the position of the chief minister for six terms between 1980 and 2007. He has not been in the thick of political action recently where Congress leaders, new and old, have been frantically changing parties and positions.
If we may recall, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, nicknamed the "gentle giant", served three terms as prime minister of India and was 80 years at the end of his third stint in 2004. He remained a true statesman even at the fag end of his career and stood his ground despite facing criticism from some quarters over slurring in speech and losing control over situations.
The question is, how does retirement dawn on political leaders? Does the body language show? Do they announce it, or do their family decide for them? Or does the party decide? If we may recall, the entire House offered congratulations to the senior leader on accomplishing 50 years in the legislature and wished him well in the years ahead. Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat went on to wish everyone good luck in the final session and hoped to see everyone back.
Sr Rane cannot be written off or told to retire, in the way it has been done. Moreover, a mature and veteran politician that he is, he has consistently been given the mandate by his voters. It is a call that he has to take along with the people of his constituency. He may not be a fierce legislator, he never was, but his silence at this stage cannot be construed as a sign of surrender.
The spat between the Ranes became a talking point because of the different parties both represent. An issue of this nature doesn't qualify to be treated as a family affair because there are divergent political interests. The argument that he was pressurised by the Congress leadership to contest falls flat because his name did not feature in the first list released by Congress. Pratapsingh Rane has spoken his mind now, and the Congress party has endorsed his candidature. It's time the senior legislator is given his space and respect to take a call on the course of his political career.
