The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Amid battle for a Konkan seat, Rane, Uddhav’s decades-old rivalry comes to a head
THE ELECTORAL battle in Ratnagiri-sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency is not just between Union Minister Narayan Rane from the BJP and incumbent Uddhav Thackerayled Sena UBT MP Vinayak Raut. On the ground, it extends as a battle between Rane family loyalists and Thackeray loyalists and further into BJP versus Shiv Sena UBT — old allies who have turned bitter foes.
With both sides pulling out all the stops to win the seat, the constituency is witnessing a flurry of rallies. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a rally in Rajapur on April 25 and Uddhav Thackeray held one in Ratnagiri on Sunday, while many more are lined up. Making it a prestige battle, both the candidates are claiming that they will win by over 2.5 lakh votes.
Rane, who has announced that it will be his last election, is fighting to establish his supremacy in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts, whereas Uddhav Thackeray is looking to regain his bastion — Konkan.
The tussle between Rane and Thackeray goes back nearly two decades when, in 2005, Rane (then with Sena) launched a rebellion along with over 10 other Konkan-based MLAS. His move then led to strong resentment among the Sainiks in Konkan region and he was labelled a traitor of Bal Thackeray.
Rane then joined Congress and was re-elected. While he was considered unbeatable, the Konkan strongman and six-term MLA from Kudal constituency was defeated by Vaibhav Naik, a Shiv Sainik, in 2014.
Naik was then praised for fulfilling the dream of late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, who once said that an ordinary Shiv Sainik would one day defeat Rane and his empire would fall for betraying Sena. As Rane is fielded again, this time by the BJP, a similar resentment has started growing among the Sena cadres in the Konkan region.
In 2015, Rane again contested against Sena candidate Trupti Sawant from Mumbai’s Bandra assembly constituency but lost. The defeat was a feather in the cap for Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership, while it raised questions about Rane’s political career and his hold in the Konkan. This time, he is making an emotional appeal by stating it is his last election.
Two consecutive defeats of Rane’s elder son Nilesh in Lok Sabha elections was attributed to the long-brewing resentment among Shiv Sainiks along with the common Konkan voters, most of whom are considered to be the Sena (UBT) loyalists. His younger son Nitesh, however, won from the Kankavli assembly constituency twice.
After 2015, Rane has not contested an election, however, backed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he is now contesting from Ratnagirisindhudurg — his first Lok Sabha election at the age of 72.
As a bitter battle is expected, Sena workers, who have been against Rane since his rebellion in 2005, now say that Rane’s candidature has helped them to consolidate the old timers and loyal Shiv Sainiks and they have mobilised against him to defeat him.
During Raut’s campaign rallies in Kanakavali tehsil of Sindhudurg district, the strong hold of Narayan Rane, Sena workers and leaders pledged to defeat Rane in the elections and raised slogans like “Ab ki baar, Rane fir se tadipaar (this time Rane will be defeated again)”.
“Rane is no where in the contest now. All Sainiks have pledged to defeat Rane and he would be defeated for the third time when we will set a hattrick record,” said Sachin Achrekar, Sena UBT officebearer from Kankavali during the campaign rally for Raut in Nandagaon village.
Rane, however, is banking on PM’S development agenda and feels that he will win by over 2.5 lakh votes.
However, Raut said, “People of Konkan no more wish to have the Gundaraj of Rane and hence they have decided to defeat him again. We will not let anyone loot Konkani people,” Raut said on the sidelines of his campaign rally.