Rane attacks Sena, stays mum on Nanar

MUMBAI : Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha president and former chief minister Narayan Rane trained guns on the Shiv Sena once again, while addressing his party workers at a rally at Rangsharda auditorium in Bandra on Thursday. The leader, who has been opposing the oil refinery project proposed by the central government in Nanar, surprisingly did not comment on it or any government policies.

Accusing the Sena of doing nothing for Marathi manoos, Rane asked why the Uddhav Thackeray-led party did not pull out of the government, despite claiming they would contest the elections solo.

“The party keeps claiming they will go solo in all forthcoming elections and not join hands with their ally, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But it has not shown the courage to pull out of the government. The party has done nothing for the people of Maharashtra and is not talking about issues related to inflation or fuel price hike,” Rane said.

Rane, who quit the Sena in 2005, reiterated that he had to leave the party as the relationship between him and then party chief Bal Thackeray had become bitter owing to people around them.

The BJP took Rane as an ally, with the hope he could help them expand their presence in Konkan or at least pick up a Lok Sabha seat from here. The Sena is unlikely to agree to an alliance, with Rane still in the picture.