Mumbai
Maharashtra: Industries Minister Narayan Rane, who has been in a rebellious mood for quite some time Tuesday met Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to accept his resignation from government even as the Congress party tried to pacify him.
Though Chavan did not accept his resignation when Rane went to meet him at Varsha, the chief minister’s residence in Malabar Hill, the latter is said to be planning a meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi to chalk out his future.
Just a few months ahead of the state assembly elections, Rane, who has been critical of Chavan’s style of functioning and the slow decision making process, resigned from Chavan’s ministry on Monday. He said he did not want to be part of the Congress defeat in the forthcoming elections.
Most importantly, he claimed that the party had “not honoured its commitment” to make him the chief minister within six months after he quit the Shiv Sena in 2005 to join the Congress. “I waited for nine years but the Congress has not kept its promise. That is why I decided to quit.
“Victory in the coming assembly elections under the CM’s leadership is difficult. He has a clean image but decision-making is slow and implementation of decisions already taken is overdue.” This resulted in displeasure among the people which was evident in the way they voted against the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls, he said.
Last week, Rane had warned that he would relinquish his ministerial post on Monday since he believed the present leadership was not capable of winning the elections. He kept his promise on Monday but had added that he was “open to serving the party as either Maharashtra Congress chief or campaign committee chief.” This would give him a better chance of being close to the powerful post or at least have a say in selection of candidates.
A major setback for Rane has been the defeat of his son Nilesh, a MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg in the 15th Lok Sabha, by the Shiv Sena in the recent 2014 general elections. It is likely that he would now want his other son Nitesh to be nominated for the assembly elections from his seat and he himself would fight from some other constituency.
It has to be seen how the party deals with Rane’s pressure tactics as some Congress leaders have termed it as “issues of personal ambition.”
Though the Maharashtra BJP has no plans to induct Rane but may keep its option open, its ally the Shiv Sena, is totally against this move. Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut has said there was no room open for Rane. The way he left the party was bad and such leaders are no more welcome in the party, he added.
