By Devika Bedi
The Bhartiya Janata Party is facing the heat from its ally, Shiv Sena. Sena has waffled on BJP’s decision to pick former Congress leader Narayan Rane for election to the Maharashtra legislative council. The party is currently backing the former chief minister if he decides to contest the elections. “The Sena’s one and only demand to the BJP is not to field Rane for the polls nor make him a minister in the cabinet,” one Sena leader said.
Sources claim that Rane will meet the Chief Minister to discuss the issue. However, BJP’s decision has cost Rane more time and embarrassment in getting a seat in the state legislature. Nevertheless, Narayan Rane said he understood the BJP’s position, after meeting the Chief Minister. “I have spoken to the chief minister today (Saturday)….I am not upset as even the BJP is compelled to take such steps to continue in power.”
Narayan Rane and his background in Maharashtra politics
Narayan Rane has previously been a Congress member and had resigned his legislative council seat in September. He left Congress in 2005 and has recently formed a new party called Swabhimani Paksha. There are reports that BJP suggested to Rane that he join the NDA rather than joining BJP directly. For doing this he was promised to a spot in Devendra Fadnavis’ cabinet. However, Rane’s enthusiasm about this alliance is uncertain.
Many BJP and Shiv Sena members remain wary of Rane. BJP leadership confirms that Narayan’s experience and stature in Maharashtra politics cannot be ignored and the party is certain to benefit from him in the Konkan and Mumbai regions. In case Narayan Rane does not run in the upcoming by-elections, BJP promised that it will support him during the June-July elections next year. However, a BJP leader said, “it was pointless to irk a loyal alliance partner like the Sena for a lone council seat. Especially, when we have larger political challenges like the Gujarat assembly polls in December.”
The current state of Maharashtra politics
Currently, BJP has 122 members in the 288 member Maharashtra assembly, while Shiv Sena has 63, Congress has 42 and the Nationalist Congress Party has 41 members. According to reports, Congress and NCP will contest the elections together, and still hope to have Shiv Sena on board with the alliance. They will, however, only approach Shiv Sena if Rane decides to contest the elections as well. A Congress-NCP-Sena alliance would have the potential to defeat Rane or even a BJP candidate.
According to a BJP spokesperson, the party was considering three people to run in the election, namely Madhav Bhandari, Shaina NC and Raghunath Kulkarni, the organising secretary of BJP. The last date for filing nominations was November 27th.
Narayan Rane remains an important, seasoned Maharashtrian politician and the BJP must negotiate through the dilemma of pleasing Sena while maintaining good terms with Rane. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has recently hinted that Rane will be accommodated in the next cabinet on the condition that he gets elected by either of the two houses of the state legislature. Rane has targeted Sena ever since he exited Congress, but the Current CM does not want to offend Sena by “unduly favouring Rane”.
After Narayan Rane launched his new party on 1st October his political career has been in the hands of BJP, who had promised him a secure way out of Congress. His new party may not be able to win even a single seat given its current popularity. However, the leader is ambitious, aiming for a prominent portfolio like home or revenue, and BJP will have to sacrifice a minister of their own if they are to accommodate Rane. Either Rane has to prove his mettle in the upcoming by-elections all on his own or else he will have to negotiate a less important portfolio in the Maharashtra cabinet.
Featured Image Source: Wikimedia
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