Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, who recently quit the Congress and floated his own party, lashed out at Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday and said he had no conception about politics.
“Does he [Uddhav] even understand what politics is all about? He has no knowledge of any ministerial portfolio. Why doesn’t he exit the Fadnavis government instead of attacking everyone in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” said a caustic Mr. Rane in Kolhapur where he is on a party-building tour of western Maharashtra. This is his first tour after he founded his party, the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha, formed after he quit the Congress in September this year after being associated with the party for almost 10 years.
Mr. Rane, who was in the Shiv Sena before joining Congress, criticised Mr. Thackeray and said “he had no business” staying in a coalition with the (BJP) and, at the same time, criticising it at every turn.
“He [Uddav] ought to take a leaf from Nana Patole [the disgruntled BJP MP who resigned today],” said Mr. Rane, rebuking Mr. Thackeray.
Mr. Rane however also said that if the people were unhappy with the ruling government, then his party would support them.
“There was a need for a new political party and hence I launched the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha,” he said, stating his intention of fielding candidates for the 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Rane met with opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP from Kolhapur, Dhananjay Mahadik, in a hotel in Kolhapur city.
Both leaders were quick to downplay the rendezvous, saying it was “purely a social visit” as both had family ties.
Mr. Rane has been kept in the cold ever since he quit the Congress and has not been given a berth in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet, much to his chagrin.
Divisions within the BJP on the matter, coupled with relentless opposition by the Sena against Mr. Rane’s induction, ensured that he was not given a seat in the recently concluded Legislative Council by-poll.
At the time of quitting, Mr. Rane vowed to deplete the ranks of his former parties, the Shiv Sena and the Congress.
The strongman has repeatedly targeted his former party the Shiv Sena, launching vitriolic attacks on Sena President Uddhav Thackeray. Mr. Thackeray, in his turn, has warned that his party would exit the coalition if the BJP inducted Mr. Rane.
