Nilesh Rane left BJP and joined Shinde’s Shiv Sena, both the parties are friends, then why are the leaders changing sides?

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane’s son Nilesh Rane joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena ahead of the crucial state assembly elections in 2024. This development comes after Rane’s father had made tireless efforts to get his son included in Shinde’s Shiv Sena ahead of the elections. He met Shinde at his official residence on Sunday to discuss the ticket for Nilesh. Sources said that he has requested the CM to give ticket to his son from Kudal assembly constituency.

 

Narayan also called Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Kudal assembly constituency is currently represented by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik. Narayan, who merged his party – Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha with BJP in 2019, is making efforts to ensure a ticket for his son for the Maharashtra Assembly elections. His efforts succeeded as his son got entry into the ruling Shiv Sena.

In 2019, the undivided Shiv Sena won Kudal and Sawantwadi from Sindhudurg district, while Rane’s younger son Nitish Rane won from Kankavli as a BJP candidate. When Shinde walked out of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party along with the majority of MLAs following the Shiv Sena split in 2022, Sawantwadi MLA Deepak Kesarkar joined him. However, Kudal MLA Vaibhav Naik remained with Thackeray. So, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has a sitting MLA in Sawantwadi, it has no sitting MLA to field a candidate in Kudal.

 

Nitesh, whose name was in the first list of BJP candidates released on Sunday, will again contest from Kankavli seat. Nilesh said, “When we are in an alliance, we have to work as per the protocol, formula of the alliance. This is something that our leaders have decided. My relations with the BJP will remain the same. Our goal is That we have to win the election. I have always followed protocol and discipline.”