Faced with the unbearable stench of the present-day political broth in Goa, one might have hoped that the trusted old chef would try to stir the pot for a better concoction. Alas! the cook himself has fled. The long political era of Pratapsingh Rane finally comes to an inglorious end. The longest-serving legislator could have exited the political turf with grace, demonstrating statesmanship instead of all this needless hide-and-seek game that we were made to witness over the last few weeks. It is unfortunate that he marred his reputation at his very fag end and will now be remembered for this sordid deed and the twisted reasons. Pratapsingh Rane wants us to believe that he realized that he was ageing and is 87 only a day ago. Of the 40 MLAs in this current assembly now only around ten can expect to be re-elected. In 2019 when those 12 MLAs defected to join the BJP they were given a solemn promise that they would all be given party tickets at these 2022 assembly elections. Most of them have belatedly realised now how they were fooled and taken for a ride. A very short-lived party rather.
