Narayan Rane’s son Nitesh joins BJP

But the proposed induction of the Rane family into the BJP has become a point of contention in the BJP-Sena alliance. The latest development has irked the workers of Sena, which has a strong base in Sindhudurg district.

On Thursday, Nitesh joined the BJP in Kankavli in presence of the BJP’s local unit chief Pramod Jathar, whom he had defeated in the 2014 assembly polls. Jathar said Nitesh will be the BJP’s candidate from Kankavli.

Speaking to The Indian Express after joining the BJP, Nitesh said, “I am joining the BJP because for the development of region, this party will certainly provide a conducive environment for me to work in. Plus, it is in power at the Centre and in the state. I will be focusing on five issues for my constituency — sustainable development of tourism, creating dependable sources of employment for the young generation, welfare of fishermen and resolving their long-pending issues, development of businesses built on the unique products of this land like cashew, kokam, mango and others, and concrete steps towards women empowerment.”

Senior Shiv Sena leader in district Deepak Kesarkar, who has been minister of state for finance and rural development, said, “The Shiv Sainiks are very unhappy over this development. Other than the obvious reasons, it is also because of what they have said about Balasaheb Thackeray and Shiv Sena in the recent past.”

When asked if Sena’s workers’ frustration over the issue will affect the alliance’s performance, Kesarkar said, “I had expressed our reservation during alliance talks. Whatever may be the case, there is an alliance in place in the state and we are part of it.”

When asked about the Sena’s reservation about his entry into the BJP, Nitesh said, “I haven’t seen any such indication. The BJP is capable of taking its own decisions even if it is part of an alliance.” In July this year, Nitesh and his supporters were caught on video throwing mud on a highway engineer. He was arrested in connection with the incident and subsequently released on bail.

Narayan Rane was the chief minister of Maharashtra for a few months in 1999 in the Sena-BJP government. After being expelled from the Sena, he joined the Congress and was a minister in the Congress-NCP government in the state.

Rane’s formal entry into the BJP and the merger of his Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha into the party is still awaited. Many key office-bearers of the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha have left the party in the last one week, including Rane’s close confidant of the last 25 years and head of the District Cooperative Bank, Satish Sawant. He is expected to put up a fight against Nitesh Rane in Kanvavli, possibly with the Shiv Sena’s tacit support.

Nitesh will also have to face BJP leader Sandesh Parkar, who has filed his nomination as an Independent candidate.

The Shiv Sena may also have a rebellion on its hands in two other constituencies in Sindhudurg district — Kudal and Sawantwadi. In Sawantwadi, where Kesarkar is Shiv Sena’s candidate, BJP’s Rajan Teli may rebel against the party and seek the support of Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha, said sources. In Kudal, Shiv Sena’s Vaibhav Naik may have to face Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha’s Datta Samant.