Feat if Rane wins from backward Poriem ninth time

Panaji, May 28 (UNI) It will be a tremendous feat for 68-year-old Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane if he is re-elected from the backward Poriem constituency for the ninth time in succession, in the June 2 elections to the Goa Legislative Assembly.

Though he has nurtured the constituency for eight successive terms, it is not a cakewalk for Mr Rane this time, with several people particularly the unemployed youth in the predominantly rural areas reseting the lack of basic amenities, besides job opportunities.

Incidentally, Mr Rane has served as the Chief Minister of Goa for seven time since 1972. He was first elected from the constituency in 1972, when it was under Satteri, as the MGP candidate and later as Congress(U) nominee in 1980. He later successfully contested on Congress ticket in successive elections.

About 10 km away from his sprawling farmhouse, Golden acres-kalan, in Sanqualim town is Morlem village, where the perturbed youth did not hide their resentment.

''We do not have proper approach roads and the situation is horrible in monsoon. I am jobless and eking out my livelihood by selling dairy products, though I have finished my ITI training in electronics from Honda. Even the main road, laid recently, would be washed away in the first monsoon showers. So is the uncertain power,'' says young Sushant, sitting at a roadside tea-stall at Morlem.

He told a visiting UNI correspondent that there were no proper medical facilities in the constituency and one has to go to adjoining Keri for primary health care.

A majority of the people had remained as tenants at the mercy of Mr Rane and his family, who owned thousands of acres of land in the area.

Mr Rane provided clerical jobs to people of his choice and no body is bold enough to raise their voice against his family. Their farmyard, however, provided employment to many of the illiterate, he said.

''Even if we have to lay a pipeline for a toilet, we have to take no objection certificate from him (Rane). He is the biggest landowner like Congress legislator Jitendra Deshprabhu in Pernem.

Lack of toilets is one of the biggest problems,'' he rued.

Kavitha, whose husband had undergone kidney stone operation, complained that Mr Rane had recently denied the opportunity of a free trip to Shiridi pilgrim centre to many who were identified as supporters of the BJP.

Eking out her livelihood by running a small bakery, she said she had no other employment opportunity though she completed her schooling. The Chief Minister did not help me for the surgery of my husband, she bemoaned.

The story of another first year BEd youth, Sudhir, is different.

Flocked with his young colleagues and riding a latest bike, he said it used to be always a one-sided affair in Poriem in favour of Mr Rane.

The BJP and the MGP, however, are trying to make in-roads this time, with former CM Manohar Parrikar meeting the electorate often through door-to-door meeting and corner meetings, he said.

Nowhere in the constituency could be seen the election posters, banners and buntings, leave alone vehicles with blaring songs and slogans. The blowing of horns by the buses and motorcycles, ridden by the youth, on the recently laid tar road disrupt the serenity of the idyllic surroundings of the constituency.

The BJP had fielded a veteran trade union leader Vasudev Parab, while the MGP has nominated Rajendra Rane. They are trying their best to woo the electorate with the BJP having the upper hand.

In all, there are 23,082 electorate in the constituency including 11,666 men and 11,416 women, who have to exercise their franchise in 29 polling stations. The highest number of electorate (1,223) is in Morlem.

In the last 2002 elections, Mr Rane got 9,126 votes defeating his nearest BJP rival Santoba Krishnarao Dessai, who secured 6,557 votes followed by MGP candidate Kanta Shamba Gaonkar 677 votes in the triangular contest.

In the 1999 assembly polls, Mr Rane had secured 7,865 votes over his nearest MGP rival Santoba Krishnarao Dessai who got 3,407 votes, while BJP rival Rane Sardessai Dipaji got 2,927 and CPI rival Gonsalves Wilson 659.

UNI