Reprieve for Rane,may get state cabinet berth

Suspended Congress leader from Maharashtra Narayan Rane is set to get a reprieve from the party High Command – revocation of his suspension,following his outburst against senior leaders last December,is under consideration,said sources. This comes about a week after Rane had offered an apology to the AICC in-charge of the state A K Antony and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel in New Delhi.

According to sources in the party,the Congress president is inclined to give Rane “another chance”. Although he has not made any demands,the former state revenue minister is likely to be accommodated in the state Cabinet,said sources.

Rane also has the backing of Chief Minister Ashok Chavan,who was learnt to have requested to Gandhi to revoke Rane’s suspension citing his political clout in the Konkan region. Incidentally,it was Chavan’s elevation as CM last December that prompted Rane to rebel against the party. Chavan,who had been backed by his predecessor Vilasrao Deshmukh then,has since fallen out with him and joined hands with his bete noir Rane.