After months of speculation, senior Congress leader Narayan Rane resigned from the Congress party on Thursday. Rane is yet to make clear what his future course will be. The former chief minister had joined the Congress in 2005 after leaving the Shiv Sena.
Addressing his loyalists in Kudal, Rane said he had submitted his MLC resignation to the chairman of the State Legislative Council. "Now, I have no relationship with the Congress party," he said. "They cheated me. When I had joined, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had promised to make me the Chief Minister. In last 12 years, I have missed the opportunity three times. I was insulted and humiliated each time. The Congress president did not keep her word."
Rane maintained studied silence over speculations of him joining Bharatiya Janata Party. He has already declared that he will contest the upcoming local body election under the banner of Samarth Panel.
"When Ashok Chavan was made the chief minister, I was the first choice among Congress MLAs. As many as 48 MLAs wanted me to become the chief minister, while only 32 were in favour of Chavan. When Prithviraj Chavan became the CM, not only did they deny me the promised post, they also downgraded my portfolio from Revenue to Industries. They did not value my devotion to the party," he added.
Rane said that he will tour across the Maharashtra over the next few days, starting from Nagpur on Friday.
Congress tried to downplay Rane's resignation. "Rane is scared that he too will be jailed like NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal. He is on the radar of Enforcement Directorate after BJP MP Kirit Somaiya's allegations of his involvement in the Rs 300 crore money-laundering racket," pointed a Congress leader.
"We are sure BJP president Amit Shah will make Rane the Shankarsinh Vaghela of Maharashtra. Congress has given him so much. He should have remained in the party," he added.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Narayan Rane")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}