Is Congress leader Narayan Rane joining the BJP?

Will the BJP rope in senior Maharashtra Congress leader Narayan Rane? Here is what BJP leaders in Maharashtra feel.

There has been talk in Maharashtra that senior Congress leader Narayan Rane has sent out feelers to join the Bharatiya Janata Party. Rane was in Delhi meeting the top leadership of the BJP on Monday and this has not gone down too well with the leaders in Maharashtra.

The meeting, according to sources, took place with Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. While some leaders in Delhi are in favour of Rane joining the BJP, the state unit is not impressed.

The state leaders feel that they should be consulted before any such decision is taken. The first hint of Rane attempting to join the BJP was dropped by Chandrakant Patil, the revenue minister of Maharashtra. He had said that Rane is a likeable personality and all parties would want a leader like him. He, however, was quick to add that a decision in this regard would only be taken after consultations are held with local leaders.

The buzz is that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is unhappy with this move. Rane has been scathing in his attack on BJP leaders and Fadnavis, according to BJP sources is not amused with this move. Many in the BJP feel that the inclusion of Rane into the party would leave no place for them.

OneIndia News