Rane has his eyes on Deshmukh’s chair

MUMBAI: Narayan Rane has finally arrived. The brash and outspoken former Shiv Sena leader’s series of achievements since entering the Congress last year would certainly sound alarm bells for the incumbent leader, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Mr Rane’s adventurous style of politics on Thursday earned a major victory for the Congress. Since being expelled from the Sena and joining the Congress in July ’05, after his revolt against Uddhav Thackeray, Mr Rane has wasted no time in proving his mettle. First, he got elected himself to the state assembly, forcing the Sena candidate to lose his deposit.

Later he pulled off an electoral coup to get elected to the assembly all the Sena MLA swho supported him.

All throughout, Mr Rane never concealed his two-pronged strategy — he kept weakening the Sena on the one hand, while setting his eyes firmly on the chief ministership. His wishes got wings when the Maharashtra Congress chief Prabha Rau and Margaret Alva, in charge of the state affairs, joined him in their drive against Mr Dehsmukh.

It’s no secret that both women are against Mr Deshmukh. It was this trio that decided to throw the fourth candidate into the ring for the council elections even though the party was short of numbers. Finally he proved right. Having ‘managed’ all four seats for the party as promised, Mr Rane has set his eyes on the chief minister’s gaddi.

Interestingly, Mr Deshmukh, who had taken responsibility of the party’s three candidates, was kept in the dark till the last moment.

The former Sena chief minister even convinced the Congress high-command about his ‘managerial’ skills in getting extra votes. It was Ms Rau who accompanied Mr Rane to the election commission’s office to file Rajan Teli’s nomination.

Mr Teli is one of Mr Rane’s closest confidante. Finally he proved right. Having ‘managed’ all four seats for the party as promised, Mr Rane has set his eyes on the chief minister’s gaddi.