Mumbai: With speculation rife that senior Congress leader Narayan Rane is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress fears it will lose its status as the main opposition party in the Assembly. Sources in the Congress said Mr Rane would join BJP along with two MLAs — his son Nitesh Rane and supporter Kalidas Kolamkar. This would bring Congress’ tally in the Assembly down to 40. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has 41 MLAs.
Though two NCP MLAs are in prison, they were allowed to vote in the Presidential poll. Hence, NCP is expected to stake claim for the post of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Jayant Patil’s name is being discussed.
When asked about NCP’s claim, party president Sunil Tatkare said it was too speculative. “We do not know what is going to happen then how can we comment on it now? Let it happen then we will see,” he said, refusing to speak more on the issue. However, NCP had in 2014 claimed the LoP post in the Assembly with the help of three Peasants and Workers Party of India MLAs. But Congress had not agreed to that.
On the other hand, sources in BJP said there might be a delay in Mr Rane joining the party. The Centre would have its Cabinet expansion first and then the state, the sources said.
The BJP is looking at Mr Rane for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in which he can take on Shiv Sena and act as a strongman in the Konkan region.
“The BJP has a few pockets in Konkan but Rane would help to expand it further. He can also take Sena head on and hence the Congress leader will be helpful for the party,” a BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.
Mr Rane left Shiv Sena to join Congress in 2005. His inclusion in Congress helped the party strengthen its position in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Konkan. The Congress bagged the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat in the 2009 general elections.
Sources said Mr Rane was inducted into Congress with an assurance of being made chief minister but Congress never kept its word. Mr Rane lost the 2014 Assembly election in Sindhudurg and the 2015 bypoll in Bandra west. His son Nilesh Rane who was an MP in 2009, also lost in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls to Shiv Sena’s Vinayak Raut.
