Mumbai: A day after Congress stalwart Narayan Rane was trounced in the Bandra East Assembly byelection, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut yesterday claimed that after leaving the party in 2005, Rane was in talks with MNS President Raj Thackeray to float a new party.
"Narayan Rane and Raj Thackeray both left Shiv Sena together in 2005. Not many people know that at that time both of them were seriously considering and had almost formed a new political party. But eventually Rane ditched Raj as well," Raut said speaking to reporters here.
"Rane has never been loyal to anybody. First he quit the Sena when he realised that he had no chance of becoming the Chief Minister again. Then, when Ashok Chavan replaced Vilasrao Deshmukh in 2008, he openly spoke against Congress's central leadership. He had tendered resignation from Congress in 2010 when Prithviraj Chavan became he CM," Raut said.
After the second consecutive defeat (he had lost from his native Sindhudurg district in the last year's Assembly elections too), Rane had lost political relevance, Raut added.
Trupti Sawant, whose husband Bala Sawant's death necessitated the bypoll, secured 52,711 votes, retaining the seat for Shiv Sena. Rane garnered 33,703 votes while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) candidate Rehbar Khan got 15,050 votes.
When asked for reaction, MLA Nitesh Rane, Narayan's son, termed Raut's claim as "baseless".
"Sena leaders should refrain from making stupid comments unless they can back them up with strong proof," said Nitesh.
