Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Uddhav is self-centred, no match for Balasaheb, says Narayan Rane

Inspired by cartoonist-politician and master orator Balasaheb Thackeray, Narayan Rane joined the Shiv Sena when he was a teenager. He went on to become the chief minister of Maharashtra in 1999 and then leader of the opposition. In 2005, Rane revolted against his mentor’s son and the then executive president of the Sena, Uddhav Thackeray. Subsequently, he was expelled from the party, but within months he joined the Congress. However, his dream of becoming the chief minister again or the Maharashtra Congress president was never realised and he left the grand old party in 2017. Rane floated the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha (MSP) which he later merged with the BJP and became a Rajya Sabha member. The 72-year-old Maratha leader, who is now the Union MSME minister in the Modi government, is BJP’s candidate from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg in the coastal Konkan belt and is pitted against Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’s Vinayak Raut. In an interview during his campaign trail, Narayan Rane speaks to DH’s Mrityunjay Bose. 

You are contesting the Lok Sabha election for the first time. How is the experience and the campaign going on?

The campaign is going great. The people of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts are like my family members. I have been an MLA from the Konkan region several times. In my political career of more than five decades, I have served in 10 different official positions. Konkan is a land of opportunities and we are committed to transforming it. Every election is important and you have to reach out to the people. What has the sitting MP (Vinayak Raut) done all these years; only stalling projects and abusing people. 

What would be the fate of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) after the Lok Sabha polls? 

You have to realise why so many people who were associated with Balasaheb Thackeray left the party. After me, Raj Thackeray left and now Eknath Shinde and then several others. The Shiv Sena (UBT)’s strength now is five MPs and 16 MLAs. After June 4 (counting of votes), the strength of MPs would be reduced to zero. After that several of his MLAs would join other parties. They will collapse. Uddhav has sunk the Shiv Sena which was founded by late Balasaheb with a mission to serve the Marathi manoos and further the cause of Hindutva. Uddhav has deviated from these causes. 

How would you compare the working styles of Balasaheb and Uddhav?

You can’t do that. Uddhav is no match for Balasaheb. Uddhav only knows how to abuse people and mess things up. He can’t see anyone prospering. His ambition of becoming the chief minister has led to this. Despite Shiv Sena and BJP being natural partners, he went and joined hands with the Congress and NCP led by Sharad Pawar. See what happened. Now he abuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, day in and day out. When he was the chief minister for two-and-a-half-years, he came to the Mantralaya only twice. Uddhav, a self-centred person, is no match for Balasaheb, who was a large-hearted man. He always saw me as a threat in his path of becoming the chief minister. 

The Jaitapur nuclear power park and the super refinery projects have triggered numerous debates in the Konkan belt. How do you see the future of these projects?

Yes. The projects could not take place because of Uddhav Thackeray’s opposition. They want money and share in every project. They have their own interests and are misleading the people. I have always supported development. When I was a Congress minister in Maharashtra and a BJP minister at the Centre, I made all efforts to ensure that the projects take shape. The Prime Minister stands for development. We will work on it. They even opposed the Sea World project which was planned in Sindhudurg. Uddhav does not have a vision for development. 

At the same time, there has been a lot of opposition over key projects like Vedanta-Foxconn and Tata-Airbus going to Gujarat and the state losing out on other projects.  

Why should a company or group leave a state if conditions are good and viable. You need to have a vision to promote development. To compete with other states, you need to provide the best.  

What is your opinion about the Maratha reservation issue and the OBC resistance to it? 

What I can say is that the government and legislature has given 10% reservation to the Maratha community and they can also opt for Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi reservation as OBCs.