If you keenly watch Maharashtra’s political circles, the Narayan Rane vs Uddhav Thackeray clash is not new, since Rane was expelled from Shiv Sena he is always criticizing Uddhav. This time for a change his target was Sanjay Raut. Rane’s bitterness with the Shiv Sena went beyond Uddhav Thackeray, these days he has problems with the rising influence of Sanjay Raut. Raut always reminds Narayan Rane to behave and stop disrespecting a decorated chief minister. Whenever Narayan Rane spewed spleen at Thackeray, Raut came in defense with a warning tone. Meanwhile, Rane thought instead of attacking Uddhav it was better to attack his guard and create a rift. Rane thought by creating doubt in Uddhav’s mind he might create unrest in Shiv Sena but he failed to do so, as Raut and Uddhav both have heads on their shoulders and somewhere those thick and strong bonds prevented the impairment.

Rane never thought in his dreams that one day Uddhav Thackeray would become Chief Minister of state, as we all know a little credit goes to Sanjay Raut. However, since then, he and his sons have not abstained from taking personal digs at the Maharashtra chief minister and his family. Rane always projected Raut as Pawar’s boot licker because he is very close to Supriya Sule and her father. Raut has family relations with Pawar family and he never intended to become Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Rane, making this deliberate statement to irk Thackeray? Interestingly, Thackeray knows Rane and his lobbying skills.

In the 1960s Narayan Rane was known to be part of the ‘Harya Narya gang’, a street gang operating in the northeastern suburb of Chembur, where he resided. In the 1970s, he joined the Shiv Sena and became a shakha pramukh, which was followed by his election as Sena corporator in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Rane appeared as one of Shiv Sena’s most powerful leaders— he moved from MLA to minister to ultimately the chief minister of the Shiv Sena-BJP government for a brief period between February and October 1999. However, he left the Shiv Sena in 2005 and joined the Congress. The Grand Old Party too didn’t appeal to Rane who resigned in 2017 to form his own party, the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha, which he ultimately merged with the BJP.

A day later, Balsaheb Thackeray expelled Rane, Balasaheb himself started calling him “nagobacha pillu” (baby snake) and “kombdi chor (chicken thief), a dig at the poultry shop that Rane ran near the Chembur station in Mumbai about five decades ago, during his early years in politics. Since then, kombdi chor title has stuck with Narayan Rane permanently. Balasaheb never trusted him wholeheartedly, that is the reason he was not offered much scope in the party. Whereas grassroot level leaders like Chagan Bhujbal too left Shiv Sena but they never foul mouthed Thackeray’s. He joined NCP and till today loyal to his party. Perhaps this is the reason, Balasaheb never criticized Bhujbal on any open platforms.

Rane’s sons always hit out at Uddhav’s son and state cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray, calling him “baby penguin”. Nitesh Rane made ‘meow’ sounds looking in the direction of Aaditya, not only that but he was unapologetic, recently his father Narayan told media that his son is an artist and he can make animal sounds. Aaditya, being a dignified young man, walked away overlooking Nitesh Rane. Nitesh can’t be a better copy to his father. That must go down as the most noteworthy thing Nitesh Rane ever did in his short-lived political career. Narayan Rane and his sons tried their level best to publicly humiliate Uddhav Thackeray, and his son Aaditya and these days Sanjay Raut. Sometimes Rane’s behave like supari criticizers, as if BJP gave them a conditional contract to take on Raut and Thackeray.

The mudslinging between Shiv Sena and BJP is worsening day by day, leaders from both parties levelling allegations at each other. Sanjay Raut continued his outburst against BJP’s Kirit Somaiya. Union minister Narayan Rane jumped in between and alleged Raut is of NCP man and was eyeing Uddhav Thackeray’s chair and alleged he was rattled because of the ED’s probe into matters related to him and his associates, while state BJP president Chandrakant Patil said Raut will get Thackeray into trouble.

Raut also alleged Somaiya and his builder friend had bought Rs 100 crore prime land in Juhu at dirt cheap rates by threatening ED action. He alleged Somaiya’s friend had given Rs 15 crore to an ED official from the Juhu deal and said he would soon name the ED officer. On Rane’s charges about him being an NCP man, Raut said, “We only have an eye on the expansion of Sena. By 2024, Shiv Sena will reach the throne of Delhi.” Meanwhile Sanjay Raut is traveling intensely across election bound states being a flagbearer of Shiv Sena. He is trying to take his party to national level politics.

In this entire circus, Devendra Fadnavis maintains dignified calm, he speaks to the point and avoids getting in unwanted blabber. The biggest problem for Devendra is the rabble-rousing leaders, who are out of his control, those leaders are doing more damage to their own party than the rivals. Maharashtra people are fed-up with these cockfights. They want development and welfare for the state and its people. Everyday drama is not what they really expect from the state leaders.

Kirit Somaiya who has raised several Covid-19 related issues with the Maharashtra government, accused them of taking people’s lives but never utter a single word about BJP ruled states, people have seen viral videos of Uttar Pradesh on social media how the dead bodies were thrown in the river, people have seen overcrowded crematoriums of Gujarat, people have seen long queue of dead bodies across Madhya Pradesh hospitals, if Kirit Somaiya is really concerned about people of nation why is he silent on those states and their mismanagement? One can not question the intellect of people. Maharashtra government’s handling of COVID crises is appreciated by the Supreme court and local leaders are making mockery? No politician is absolutely clean, each one of them has some skeletons buried in their backyard.

How much one should use it for personal or political vendetta, is their own choice, but wasting people’s time in everyday arguments is not good, people have been given the opportunity to be in politics to perform. You all are expected to do your bit, if BJP leaders still want to linger on personal fights, people will definitely disown them. Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders should know how important it is for them to prove themselves and take people into confidence if they want to retain power in the state.

Read the part 1 of this editorial

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