BJP-Shiv Sena war of words intensifies in backdrop of political differences between Rane brothers

Mumbai: The war-of-words between the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena intensified on Thursday with state BJP President Ravindra Chavan’s cryptic remark that he has to "save the alliance" till December 2. 

Incidentally, December 2 is when 246 nagar parishads (municipal councils) and 42 nagar panchayats (town panchayats) go to polls. 

While in many places, the BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting against each other but the situation seems to have got serious in the Sindhudurg district, the bastion of the Rane family.

“I have to save the alliance till December 2…I will speak after that,” said Chavan, a former minister, however, he did not elaborate. 

His statement comes in the backdrop of the developments in Sindhudurg.

“I don’t know what he spoke…better you clarify from him,” said Shinde’s son Dr Shrikant Shinde, the Shiv Sena MP from Kalyan. 

Neither Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis nor Shinde spoke on the issue during the day. 

Over the past few months, the political differences between Rane brothers — Nilesh Rane and Nitesh Rane — seems to be compounding.

Nilesh and Nitesh are elder and younger sons, respectively, of Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg BJP MP Narayan Rane, who is a former Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly and ex union minister. 

The development comes as a case of concern for the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. 

In Sindhudurg, there are three nagar parishads - Sawantwadi, Vengurla and Malvan and one nagar panchayat - Kankavli, which are going to polls. 

The issue compounded when Nilesh barged into the house of BJP worker Vijay Kenavadekar in Malvan and summoned the local police to seize cash found on the premises.

According to Nilesh, the money, around Rs 15 lakh, was meant to be distributed ahead of next week’s election. 

Nilesh also made a video of the incident, in which he is asking the police and the election machinery to seize the cash and register a case against Kenavadekar.

“We have seen the evidence of what Chavan does when he visits the district. There was a meeting in Malvan. I already had an idea of what he would do after the meeting… I found out everything, and then it was all in my hands. Why do you do all this? When I went to Kenwadekar’s house, the office people got scared. There is a diary in that house, and I don’t think there’s even a single bag left. Every day, Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore is being distributed from that house. Ravindra Chavan came, and all this started happening,” Nilesh Rane alleged. 

However, the BJP worker explained that the money is for his real estate business.

“It is not property to go to someone’s bedroom and record a video,” state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, adding: “One also needs to ask whether it is appropriate to directly enter someone's residence, go to that person's bedroom and then claim it is part of a sting operation.”  

“The charges levelled against us are baseless. It is being done after Nilesh Rane realized that they  will be defeated in the election,” state BJP President Ravindra Chavan. 

Nitesh Rane, however, said whether a leader of any party, they are working or running business. “If money is found in anyone’s home, what is the fault,” he said, adding that he is open to an independent probe.

The development takes place amid the war of words between Fadnavis and Shinde over the past few days.

“Even Ravan was arrogant, and hence his Lanka was burnt down…You have to do the same on December 2. People must finish corruption and vote for development,” Shinde had said while addressing a rally in Dahanu. 

However, Fadnavis, in a separate BJP rally in Dahanu, said: “"Someone may say they will burn your Lanka. But we do not live in Lanka. We are followers of Lord Ram. Ravana cannot be the brother of Lord Ram…. So why use such language during elections?…we have Bharat here.”