Babush, CM's son resign from Congress

Panaji, May 15 (UNI) In a jolt to the Congress ahead of the June 2 State Legislative Assembly elections in Goa, vitriolic former minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate and Viswajit Rane, son of Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane and GPCC general secretary, today resigned from the primary membership of the party.

Viswajit resigned from the party because he was denied ticket by the party. However, Mr Monserrate, who had filed his nominations from Taleigao constituency on May 12, cited no reasons for his resignation although he had earlier threatened to resign if his wife Jennifer was denied a ticket.

Mr Monserrate filed his nomination papers as a United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) candidate, while Mr Rane filed his papers as an independent candidate for the Volpoi constituency abutting his father's Poriem constituency in North Goa.

Incidentally, today was the last date for filing of nominations.

Mr Monserrate sent in his resignation letter dated today that reached the party headquarters after 1500 hrs, when the process of receiving nominations ended. He did not mention any reason for his exit.

Mr Viswajit's letter, dated May 12, was also received today, in which he said he was resigning from the party as he desired to contest from Volpoi on his own. He had worked hard in Sattari and Bicholim taluks for the party, the letter said and wished the Congress win there.

Viswajit, popularly known as ''Baba'' in the region, could not get the party ticket as the high command decided against offering more than one ticket to one family.

On the otherhand, Mr Monserrate had filed his nomination as Congress candidate for the Taleigao constituency two days ago, after he threatened to resign if the party failed to offer ticket to his wife Jennifer for neighbouring Santa Cruz.

Jennifer, who had earlier resigned from the Congress as also North Goa ZP chairperson, has filed her nomination from Santa Cruz on behalf of the UGDP, which her husband originally represented, against deputy Speaker Victoria Fernandes, a lone woman candidate of the Congress.

With this, the Congress, which had earlier announced that it would contest for 34 seats in the 40-member House, has landed in the lurch with no Congress nominee for the Taleigao constituency with Babush resigning at the eleventh hour.

Incidentally, as Congress candidate, Babush had launched a campaign in support of his wife in Santa Cruz yesterday to the chagrin of the Congress higher-ups.

He was originally elected to the House on UGDP ticket in 2002 elections. Later, he joined the BJP to become minister, but resigned to get re-elected on Congress ticket in the 2006 by-elections, after leading the downfall of BJP government.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had raided his palatial bangalow and other offices when he was minister in the BJP regime without the knowledge of then chief minister Manohar Parrikar. The details of seizure had not been known as yet as he joined the Congress later.

He had resigned as Town and Country Planning Minister in Pratapsinh Rane cabinet following a public outcry over the controversial Regional Plan-2011, which was later scrapped.

Asked whether it amounted to ''sheer betrayal of the Chameleon'', the GPCC president Ravi Naik did not react though he confirmed that he had received the resignation letter.

''We have to verify his signatures with the returning officer and confirm the legal status as to whether one can file nominations from different parties for the same election,'' he said.

The party has fielded former sarpanch Laxman Savardekar for Volpoi constituency, even as it is in a quandary over the prestigious Taleigao constituency.

UNI