Pratapsing Rane will be the new Goa chief minister after he was elected leader of the Congress legislature party Monday.

Party general secretary in charge of Goa Margaret Alva announced here that Rane had been "unanimously elected" at the meeitng lasting two hours. His name was proposed by Luizinho Faleiro -- another contender for the post -- and Dayanand Narvekar.

The impasse in the Goa assembly had ended Sunday when the Congress and its ally, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), won four of the five by-elections. With the Congress choosing its new leader, president's rule will be lifted shortly.

Letters of support from two Nationalist Congress Party legislators and one of the MGP (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party) to the Congress are expected.

A swearing-in could be possibly be scheduled for Tuesday.

Congress said nothing about when its cabinet would be announced or who would be the deputy chief minister or ministers. The party leaders would meet Governor S.C. Jamir, incidentally appointed by the Congress itself, and stake their claim.

Rane, who would be taking up his record seventh term in office in an instability prone state, said he would review the past decisions of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, retain the good ones and review those that needed review.

There would be no witch-hunt, he said, adding that there would be no problems in cabinet formation.

The Congress returns to power after half-a-decade in political wilderness -- since October 1999 when it was ousted from power by the BJP.

Grim-faced BJP leaders said they have decided to work as a "constructive opposition" till the 2007 elections.

Goa has 39 members in its 40-seat assembly. One MLA stands disqualified. Of the 39, the Congress has 18 and three more - two NCP and one Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP)- support it. This gives it 21 members. The BJP has 17 of its own MLAs and one of the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP).

The Congress first won in Goa only in 1980. It ruled continuously for a decade under Rane, who returned for stints in the 1990s of more controversial rule.

Since March 1990, Goa's governments have been collapsing like ninepins, in part because of growth of small groupings and splinter factions that have played a big role in the local assembly.

Former BJP heavyweights now back in the Congress, and other allies, are bound to extract their pound of flesh. When asked what he desired, NCP leader and three-time former Congress chief minister Wilfred de Souza said bluntly, "Everything!"

Averting crises of over-ambition and fighting the assertive BJP, the Congress has its long job list ready and waiting for it as it embarks on another spell to rule Goa.