Rane, son of veteran Congress leader and state assembly speaker Pratapsinh Rane, can continue as minister for six months without getting elected to the state legislature.
Independent Goa MLA and minister Vishwajit Rane today resigned from the cabinet and the state Assembly to join the Congress party hours before being re-inducted into the government.
Rane, a first-term MLA and health minister in the Digamber Kamat government, quit both from the House and the cabinet before being sworn in again as a minister by Governor SS Sidhu at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan.
Rane, son of veteran Congress leader and state Assembly Speaker Pratapsinh Rane, can continue as minister for six months without getting elected to the state legislature.
He represented Valpoi in the 40-member House.
He had contested and won the 2007 Assembly elections as an independent after being denied Congress nomination.
Earlier, he joined the Congress in the presence of state party President Subhash Shirodkar and Kamat.
Describing his joining the Congress party as "homecoming", Rane said he was always a Congressman at heart.
"I was always a Congressman. I contested the last polls as an independent as I was denied party ticket. Now I have returned to the Congress to give stability to the present government," he told reporters after taking oath as Minister.
Earlier this week, UGDP legislator Atanasio Babush Monserratte had joined the Congress.
Meanwhile, GPCC President Subhash Shirodkar said that Vishwajit Rane will contest the assembly by-polls from Valpoi constituency on Congress ticket.
"By right the ticket should go to him as he was representing the constituency for five years," Shirodkar told PTI at the sidelines of a swearing in ceremony held to induct Rane into cabinet.
Rane, holding health and agriculture portfolios, had resigned as minister and member of legislative assembly this morning to join the Congress.
Earlier during the day, Rane joined Congress party in presence of Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat and Shirodkar.
"I have joined Congress for the stability of Digamber Kamat government. I was always a Congressman," he said.
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