Ending a decade-plus long association with the Congress, former chief minister of Maharashtra Narayan Rane announced his resignation from the party on 21 September. But suspense remains whether he will join the BJP or form his own party. In fact, the BJP itself is undecided on his involvement in the party.
According to prominent leaders of Maharashtra BJP, there is not much enthusiasm in the party regarding Rane's admission. Since the BJP is currently the strongest party in Maharashtra, the party does not seem to need Rane as much as Rane needs the party's backing.
Why Is BJP in Two Minds?
1. Rane's political history is one of the main reasons why the BJP is in two minds regarding his admission. The party has also not been able to assess whether it will be beneficial to bring Rane to the party. Rane is one of the big leaders of Konkan, but in the current era, except for the 3 seats of Sindhudurg district, he seems to be losing ground in the region. Konkan has about 39 seats in the Assembly. This too is another reason why the BJP is not ready to disclose their cards at the moment.
2. If Rane is brought into the state's politics then what position should he be given? Should Rane be made a minister in the Maharashtra government or be sent to the Rajya Sabha? How to include both his sons, Nitesh and Nilesh, is also a big question in front of the party.
3. Admission of Rane into the party may also upset a lot of Maratha politicians within the party.
4. The thought behind bringing Rane into the BJP is to weaken Shiv Sena's stronghold in Maharashtra because Rane has an influence in the Konkan region.
Probability of a New Party
Judging by the way Rane is criticising both the Congress and the Shiv Sena after he quit, it is likely that he will form his own party. He has claimed that a lot of angry workers from both parties might want to join him. It is also speculated that Rane's new party might work as a Team B for the BJP. This will directly benefit the BJP because Rane will put a dent on the vote banks of the Congress and the Shiv Sena. To explore the possibility of the new party, Rane is going on a 10-day tour of Maharashtra. Rane has made it clear that he will make his role clear before Dussehra.
Background of Narayan Rane
Rane left the Shiv Sena on 26 July 2005 and joined the Congress where he was made the revenue minister. Although he was assured the post of chief minister when he was included in the party, he was not given the post. Earlier, in 1999, Bal Thackeray had made him the chief minister after the removal of Manohar Joshi. However, because of his sour relationship with Uddhav Thackeray, he decided to leave the party.
(The article was first published by Hindi Quint )
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)