Eknath Shinde fed up with his party, looking for alternatives: Rane

There is no unrest in the Shiv Sena. Shinde is one of the best performing ministers...

MANISHA KAYANDE,

Sena spokesperson

MUMBAI: Newly inducted Union minister Narayan Rane on Saturday made serious allegations against the Shiv Sena and said all the files related to the urban development department (UDD) are being cleared by Matoshree, residence of Sena chief and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. He also claimed that senior Sena minister Eknath Shinde is fed up with his party as he has no power and is looking for alternatives.

Shinde is a senior Sena leader and holds the urban development department in MVA government. From August 19, Rane is on Jan Ashirwad Yatra in the state, covering most of the districts of Konkan region. On Saturday, he was in Vasai where he made the statement.

“Though he (Shinde) is the urban development minister in MVA government, he is being used only to sign files. The rest is in the hands of ‘son’, who is also a minister and another person who is not in politics, and thus I’m not taking his name. No file from urban development department can be cleared without approval from Matoshree,” Rane alleged without naming Aaditya Thackeray, son and environment minister in MVA.

“He (Shinde) is frustrated and tired of this and is looking for alternatives… I will provide for him one day,” the Union minister said, indicating unrest in the party. Rane has been a bitter critic of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray since he was expelled from the Sena. He launched an offensive against the Sena from the beginning of Jan Ashirwad Yatra. Rane also predicted that the Thackeray-led MVA government will fall soon.

The Sena said there is no unrest in the party and Rane is making all baseless allegations to please his bosses. “There is no unrest in the Shiv Sena. Shinde is one of the best performing ministers and is the first person who reaches the spot if an incident happens. Rane suddenly has got a position, thus he is making all the allegations to show his bosses that he is doing something,” said Manisha Kayande, Sena spokesperson.

She alleged the BJP is reeling with unrest and not the Sena. “The BJP has no leader who can lead the party in the upcoming BMC polls. This is the reason BJP loyalists have been sidelined and Rane is being projected. There is unrest in the BJP and not in Sena,” she said.