Narayan Rane to switch sides yet again?

Mumbai: With Lok Sabha elections around the corner, there is a huge buzz in the state’s political circles over speculation that senior leader Narayan Rane is likely to return to the Opposition camp.

According to sources, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is exploring the options to back Mr Rane for Lok Sabha polls from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constit-uency. Mr Rane had resigned from Congress a year back and formed his own party. He is currently a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament on BJP’s ticket, however, he is also in touch with senior NCP leaders, sources revealed.

Congress and NCP have been holding discussions over seat sharing for coming general elections. Seats from Konkan, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg were with Congress in 2014, but now the party doesn’t want to contest from these constituencies as it has no strong candidate. Whereas NCP in its bid to increase the tally is looking to contest from these constituencies, sources said. “If we get Mr Rane on board then we will ask for these seats. Alliance talks are on for last eight seats,” said a senior NCP leader.  

Mr Rane was expecting a ministerial role in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government when he left Congress, however, Shiv Sena, opposed his induction in the cabinet. Subseq-uently, he formed his own party named Maharash-tra Swabhiman Paksha.

Sources said Mr Rane too has not taken any decision till now. “Nobody knows the way state politics will play out in next six months. If Sena contests on its own, then Rane saheb will stay with BJP and could be its candidate for LS from. In that case, he won’t switchover but if Sena and BJP contest in an alliance then he has no other choice but to change the camp,” said his very close colleague.

Meanwhile, Congress’s district units of Sindh-udurg and Ratna-giri have strongly oppo-se-d Mr Rane inclusion. The-y do not want Mr Rane to be a candidate of Congr-ess, NCP alliance. “But, if NCP gives him ticket and leadership asks us to work for him then the workers will have to do it,” said Congress MLC and general secretary of Maharashtra.