Narayan Rane may ditch Congress, join BJP

MUMBAI: In the next few days the Congress in Maharashtra is likely to be poorer by two MLAs and a senior Congress leader. Congress leader Narayan Rane is soon likely to be inducted in to the BJP, following him would be his son MLA Nitesh Rane and elder son and former MP Nilesh Rane. Wadala Congress MLA from Mumbai Kalidas Kolambar another Rane loyalist is also likely to join the BJP.

On Sunday Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited Rane at his residence for Ganesh Chaturthi the meeting was followed by a meeting between BJP Chief Amit Shah, State BJP President Raosaheb Danve and Fadnavis, the three discussed the organisational changes in the party and the impending cabinet reshuffle.

On Monday Danve met Rane at his residence and held a long meeting with him. It is now expected that Rane and his sons would be inducted in the party soon. Unlike the Goa and Gujarat Congress MLA's quitting the party to join the BJP the Rane move would not come as a surprise for the Congress, its top leadership is aware that Rane is on the verge of quitting the party.

State Congress Chief Ashok Chavan recently spoke on the issue saying, “People quitting the party makes no difference it actually helps new leaders to come to the forefront.

It's not that the Congress has not tried to prevent Rane from joining the BJP,over the past few months after Rane had expressed displeasure over the functioning of Ashok Chavan, the Congress leadership sensing that he was planning to move to the BJP made hectic efforts to placate him.

The party tried to assuage the former by even promising him the state Congress Chief 's post. The party top brass however said that Rane would have to wait for three months for the post.