Narayan Rane inches closer to joining BJP

DENIAL Son Nitesh says these are just rumours

Senior Congress leader and the former chief minister Narayan Rane has been in contact with top brass leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party. According to a BJP insider, Rane met union BJP minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday evening. The speculations doing rounds are Rane is all set to join the BJP and not go back to the Shiv Sena as was being rumoured. He is expected to quit Congress soon.

There have been whispers since past two weeks that Rane would quit Congress as he constantly believes he has not got proper justice from the oldest national party. During a series of interviews to various news channel Rane has refuted speculations that he is to quit Congress. However, he has also said that Congress should not take him granted.

“The state leadership is responsible for the defeat of the party in local body elections,” Rane had said while speaking with media persons last week. He had targeted Ashok Chavan, the president of Maharashtra State Congress Committee (MPCC). However, Chavan did not respond to Rane’s allegations.

Patangrao Kadam, the former Congress minister said in Pune on Monday that the party will take congnisance of his (Rane’s) grievances.

Meanwhile, Vaibhav Naik, the Sena legislator and Vinayak Raut, Sena’s Member of Parliament opposed Rane’s probable return to Sena. In a meeting of party legislators held at Shiv Sena Bhavan last week in presence of party present Uddhav Thackeray, a few legislators demanded that leaders such as Ganesh Naik, Chhagan Bhujbal and Narayan Rane need to return to the party to boost the mood. “Uddhav ji must convince them and get them entry,” one of the Sena leader had said.

On the other hand Sena leaders have opposed this proposal because they Nitesh and Nilesh Rane to join Sena and hence the ball is in court of Thackeray.

Close aid of Rane claimed that Rane is not in favour of Sena and instead will prefer BJP. “He knows the next government will be of BJP. “He doesn’t want any enquiry against him and looks for a better political future, which he knows that only the BJP can fulfil,” said Rane’s close confident.

Rane is said to have tried meeting the BJP national president Amit Shah.Meanwhile, Nitesh Rane rubbishes speculations about Narayan Rane will join BJP. "Rane went to Delhi for some personal reasons. There is no possibility of him joining the BJP," said Nitesh Rane's son. He added, "We are still in Congress and will be present in the assembly House."

Patangrao Kadam, the former Congress minister said in Pune on Monday that the party will take congnisance of Rane’s grievances.