Team Herald
PANJIM: Ashish Kanekar, who was the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate in Valpoi for the February 4 polls, joined Congress on Saturday and is likely to be fielded against Congress rebel and now BJP member Vishwajit Rane in the upcoming by-poll.
Rane, who resigned as MLA and from the Congress hours after taking oath as MLA, last month, joined the BJP and is to be inducted in the Manohar Parrikar cabinet.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Girish Chodankar confirmed Kanekar’s joining the party. “The Congress party which has a strong base in the constituency is set to defeat Rane in the upcoming by-election. The party has a large support base there and its candidate will surely defeat Rane restoring the tally back to 17 in the State Legislative Assembly,” he said.
Kanekar, a prominent social activist in the constituency, resigned from AAP. He said he will be working for Congress in the constituency and will galvanise the support ahead of the by-election which will witness end of Rane’s era.
Chodankar said he and Kanekar have begun holding meetings in Valpoi which are well attended. He said the party will consult Congressmen and reconstitute the PCC block, Mahila Block, Youth Block, Seva Dal, Minority cell and booth committees at Valpoi very soon.
Chodankar said Rane decided to join BJP only to gain power. “What is shocking is that Rane claims he resigned from Congress because people from his constituency wanted him to do so. People were never taken into confidence by him,” he said.
