Kudal Assembly Constituency 2024: Nilesh Rane Set To Trade BJP For Shiv Sena; Know Why

The Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is expected to give a ticket for the Kudal assembly seat in the Konkan region to Nilesh Rane, as reported by Hindustan Times. He is the son of former Chief Minister and current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament, Narayan Rane. However, before he can contest from Kudal, Nilesh must switch his party affiliation from the BJP, which he joined in 2014, to the Shiv Sena.

To support his son's candidacy, Narayan Rane met with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday. Sources indicate that according to the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming elections, the Kudal constituency is allocated to the Shiv Sena. Currently, the Kudal assembly seat is held by Vaibhav Naik from the Shiv Sena (UBT). Given this situation, Shinde is actively seeking a strong candidate, and Nilesh, backed by his influential family, would be a suitable choice.

Nilesh Rane's interest in the Kudal seat stems from a desire to expand his family's influence in the region. His younger brother, Nitesh, has represented the nearby Kankavli assembly constituency since 2014 and plans to run for re-election. Nitesh is also a significant BJP leader in Maharashtra. Earlier this year, Narayan Rane secured the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat, defeating Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut.

Initially, Nilesh wanted to contest for Kudal on a BJP ticket. However, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena did not agree to this, leaving him with little choice but to consider joining the Shiv Sena.

Commenting on the possibility of Nilesh being awarded the Kudal ticket, Shiv Sena minister and Ratnagiri MLA Uday Samant, a key leader from the Konkan region, stated in HT, "I respect Mahayuti and work under Eknath Shinde. I will work for Mahayuti and keep all insults aside."

Shiv Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske also expressed openness to Nilesh Rane joining the party, saying, "Nilesh Rane is welcome to join the Shiv Sena. His father, Narayan Rane, was a founding member of the party."

Nilesh Rane could not be reached for comment regarding his potential candidacy. His father, Narayan Rane, declined to discuss Nilesh's possible shift to the Shiv Sena, asserting that his meeting with the Chief Minister was about water supply issues for his medical college in Sindhudurg and not about the Kudal ticket.

Nilesh Rane previously served as the MP for the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency from 2009 to 2014 on a Congress ticket. After joining the BJP in 2014, he faced defeats in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.