At meeting with Amit Shah, no talk of Narayan Rane joining BJP

According to a senior leader, “Rane urged Shah to help him in getting permission for a medical college at Padwe in Kudal in Sindhudurg district in Konkan. He extended an invitation to Shah to inaugurate the medical college when it is ready.”

“The meeting lasted eight to nine minutes. There was no discussion on politics,” a senior leader present at the meeting said.

The BJP functionary said, “It was evident from the manner in which whole thing went that the BJP central leadership is not favourably inclined to induct Rane at the moment.”

He added that it also indicated that the BJP was not going to buckle under any pressure or pre-condition by Rane to join the party.

Rane had last week resigned from the Congress but his son Nitesh continues as a Congress MLA.

BJP political managers said, “The question being asked in the party is how can they accommodate three members of one family. Giving a Rajya Sabha seat to the senior Rane, Lok Sabha seat to his elder son Nilesh and an Assembly seat to his younger son Nitesh would not go down well with the party’s cadre in the Konkan.” Some in the party believe that Rane will have to justify his base in Konkan, his home turf, as his political clout has drastically declined in the last ten years.

A close aide of Rane said, “In politics, nothing is final. But it is evident that BJP is not making any hasty decision on Rane.”

He added that it is also likely that they don’t want to upset Shiv Sena, a coalition partner.