BJP gauges Shiv Sena’s reaction over offer to Rane: Sources

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to gauge the reaction of Shiv Sena over chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ offer to former Congress leader Narayan Rane to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Mr Rane, who quit the Congress recently, was invited to join the NDA by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. Mr Rane, who floated a new party last week, has asked for two days to take a call on joining hands with the NDA.  But, the sources said that under the grab of granting two days to Mr Rane to take a call on joining the NDA, the BJP is trying to gauge the reaction of the Shiv Sena.  

Mr Rane, who had left the Shiv Sena in 2005, has been locked in a bitter battle with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Sources said that Sena’s cadre doesn’t want its leadership to share power with Mr Rane and hence, there will be huge pressure on Sena leadership to leave the state government if Mr Rane is inducted into CM Fadnavis’ cabinet. In the backdrop of this, it is important for the BJP to wait for Sena’s reaction.

The Shiv Sena has not reacted to the CM’s decision to invite Mr Rane to join the NDA. Neither Sena leaders nor the party’s mouthpiece Saamana has reacted to the development. “Sena is a party of the street-smart politics. But when it goes into such deep silence and looking at the unpredictable nature of Sena’s politics, it really means the party could be thinking seriously about leaving the government,” said political analyst Prakash Bal.

On the other hand, BJP leadership indicated that there wouldn’t be any crisis. Recently, its senior leader Chandrakant Patil taunted the Sena, saying it is sticking to the power like glue. “Sena is unable to sit outside the government,” Mr Patil had said in Kolhapur. “So, our leadership has indicated that we are ready with plan B,” said senior leader from the BJP. There is a buzz of CM Fadnavis reshuffling his cabinet reshuffle before Diwali and that Mr Rane could be inducted.