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A day after Maharashtra Industries Minister and Congress leader Narayan Rane announced that he would resign from the state cabinet, ahead of the assembly election, party’s central and state leaders swung into action to convince him not to do so. Rane, however, stuck to his guns and said he would submit his resignation on Monday. He, however, reiterated he would remain in the party.
An office bearer of the all India Congress Committee, who is close to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, had a telephonic conversation with Rane and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Manikrao Thakre met him and requested him not to go ahead with his resignation. Mumbai Regional Congress Committee's former president Kripa Shankar Singh also rushed to Rane's home and asked him not to step down from the council of ministers.
Rane on Friday left for a three-day tour of the Konkan region, where he is involved in a bitter fight with the Shiv Sena since he joined the Congress in July 2005. Rane is travelling to Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts that together have 15 assembly seats.
MPCC spokesman Ratnakar Mahajan told Business Standard: “Even if Rane resigns, he himself said he would continue to be in the Congress, and that will be an additional asset for the party in Maharashtra. Congress will make full use of his energy in the assembly poll.”
Another MPCC leader, who did not want to be named, said efforts are being made to organise a telephonic conversation between Rane and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and also Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. He recalled that Rane had recently met Sonia and also appeared before the A K Antony-led committee expressing his displeasure over the present state of affairs in the party. Rane, hurt by his son and party nominee Nilesh Rane's defeat from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat in the Lok Sabha elections, has complained that he is being neglected in the party.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena on Friday reiterated there was no entry for Rane into the party. Rane was expelled from the party in July 2005 after he challenged the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray. Sena's ally, BJP, also indicated it was not eager to roll out the red carpet to Rane.
Some Congress leaders believe Rane may convert a non-political organisation, Swabhimani Sanghatana, to a political party and contest the coming state poll. Currently, Rane's younger son, Nitesh Rane, heads the organisation.
