Sena plans showdown with Rane

The Shiv Sena has decided to take on Revenue Minister Narayan Rane on his home turf. A team of 15 Sena MPs, led by Anant Gite, will reach Oras, headquarters of the Sindhudurg district, tomorrow.

Sena leaders have sought a meeting with the district collector and other senior officials at 11 am. However, Rane, who being a former Sena member is well aware of the tactics of the party, has called a meeting of the district officials at the same time in his capacity of the guardian minister of the district.

The district officials are duty bound to attend the meeting called by the minister. According to sources, Sena functionaries may try to use the refusal of the district administration to meet them at 11 am to create problem.

Talking to Business Standard, Rane said, "in all these years Sena MPs were never bothered about the development of the Sindhudurg district.

"Arrival of 15-member MPs' team is nothing but political gimmickry aimed at creating a law and order situation," he said. "I have cautioned my supporters not to get provoked by the Sena MPs' activities," he added.

When contacted, Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha members and a close confidant of Uddhav Thackeray, said the visit of Sena MPs' team was part of the larger exercise to get the first hand knowledge of development issues in various parts of the state. "We have already visited western Maharashtra and the Vidarbha regions," he said.

Ever since Rane quit the Sena to join the Congress, the saffron party has been trying to engage him and weaken him in his home district.

Earlier, the Sena leadership had announced that Raj Thackeray would tour the flood-affected areas of the district. But he called off his visit following the police advice to do so.