Pratapsinh Rane not to canvass against son in Valpoi bypoll

Senior Congress leader Pratapsinh Rane today informed his party that during the upcoming Valpoi assembly bypolls, he would not campaign against his son Vishwajit, who recently joined the ruling BJP and was given a cabinet berth, a Congress functionary said.
Pratapsinh, the former Chief Minister of Goa, who attended the Congress Legislature Party meeting in the city today, categorically said that he would not canvass against his son Vishwajit, the functionary said.
Vishwajit, who had won the Valpoi assembly seat on a Congress ticket in the February 4 state polls, had quit the party and joined the ruling BJP recently. On April 12, he was was inducted into the state cabinet led by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

He will have to get re-elected as a member of the legislative assemby within six months of his swearing-in as a minister.
When contacted, Pratapsinh refused to comment on the issue.
Talking to PTI, Congress legislature party leader Chandrakant Kavlekar said, "We will not insist Rane to campaign against his son. We can understand that he might not like to canvass against Vishwajit."
Kavlekar, however, said that whether senior Rane agrees to campaign or not, the Congress would give a tough fight to Vishwajit. "All the Congress MLAs would unite their strength during the by-poll," he said.
The Election Commission is yet to announce the dates for the bypolls to Valpoi assembly constituency.