<p>In a development that could have a bearing on the BJP-Shiv Sena relations in Maharashtra, veteran politician and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane is set to join the BJP.</p>.<p>On Sunday, when Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis concludes his Maha Janadesh Yatra in Solapur, Rane would merge his regional outfit, Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha (MSP), with the BJP.</p>.<p>Union Home Minister and BJP President Amit Shah and Working President Jagat Prakash Nadda would be present when a host of Maharashtra leaders including Rane joins the BJP.</p>.<p>The confirmation has come from Rane himself. "I will join the BJP on September 1 in Solapur where the Amit Shah will address a rally," Rane said.</p>.<p>Rane, who calls the shot in the South Konkan region, is currently a Rajya Sabha member with the backing of the BJP.</p>.<p>It is, however, not yet known whether 67-year-old Rane's sons - Dr Nilesh Rane, a former Congress MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg and Nitesh Rane, a sitting Congress MLA from Kankavli, would also join the BJP.</p>.<p>Rane is bete noire of Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray - and his entry into the saffron alliance could spark off a war of words between the two alliance partners.</p>.<p>"It is like adding salt to sweet milk," remarked Minister of State for Home and senior Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar, while reacting to the development.</p>.<p>It needs to be mentioned that “No Holds Barred: My Years In Politics” - published by Harper Collins - Rane's autobiography that he wrote with Priyam Gandhi-Mody - has given some indications of his future course of action.</p>.<p>Under late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, Rane started off as a Corporator of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and became the Chairman of BrihanMumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST).</p>.<p>In 1995, when the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power under Manohar Joshi, he became the Revenue Minister. Rane was Chief minister from 1 February to 17 October, 1999. </p>.<p>He was then the Leader of Opposition in the state from 1999 to 2005 - but Thackeray had to expel him for raising a banner of revolt against Uddhav.</p>.<p>He subsequently joined the Congress and held the Revenue, Industry, Port and Employment portfolios in the state cabinet - under various Chief Ministers - Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan. Rane's main grudge was that despite the promise, he was not made the Chief Minister.</p>.<p>In the 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls, he lost the elections and later a bye-election too.</p>.<p>He aspired to become the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) but that too did not materialise.</p>.<p>He was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from 2016 to 2017, but he resigned from Congress.</p>.<p>He formed his own party, the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha (MSP), and was elected to the Rajya Sabha on a BJP nomination in 2018.</p>
<p>In a development that could have a bearing on the BJP-Shiv Sena relations in Maharashtra, veteran politician and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane is set to join the BJP.</p>.<p>On Sunday, when Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis concludes his Maha Janadesh Yatra in Solapur, Rane would merge his regional outfit, Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha (MSP), with the BJP.</p>.<p>Union Home Minister and BJP President Amit Shah and Working President Jagat Prakash Nadda would be present when a host of Maharashtra leaders including Rane joins the BJP.</p>.<p>The confirmation has come from Rane himself. "I will join the BJP on September 1 in Solapur where the Amit Shah will address a rally," Rane said.</p>.<p>Rane, who calls the shot in the South Konkan region, is currently a Rajya Sabha member with the backing of the BJP.</p>.<p>It is, however, not yet known whether 67-year-old Rane's sons - Dr Nilesh Rane, a former Congress MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg and Nitesh Rane, a sitting Congress MLA from Kankavli, would also join the BJP.</p>.<p>Rane is bete noire of Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray - and his entry into the saffron alliance could spark off a war of words between the two alliance partners.</p>.<p>"It is like adding salt to sweet milk," remarked Minister of State for Home and senior Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar, while reacting to the development.</p>.<p>It needs to be mentioned that “No Holds Barred: My Years In Politics” - published by Harper Collins - Rane's autobiography that he wrote with Priyam Gandhi-Mody - has given some indications of his future course of action.</p>.<p>Under late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, Rane started off as a Corporator of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and became the Chairman of BrihanMumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST).</p>.<p>In 1995, when the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power under Manohar Joshi, he became the Revenue Minister. Rane was Chief minister from 1 February to 17 October, 1999. </p>.<p>He was then the Leader of Opposition in the state from 1999 to 2005 - but Thackeray had to expel him for raising a banner of revolt against Uddhav.</p>.<p>He subsequently joined the Congress and held the Revenue, Industry, Port and Employment portfolios in the state cabinet - under various Chief Ministers - Vilasrao Deshmukh, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan. Rane's main grudge was that despite the promise, he was not made the Chief Minister.</p>.<p>In the 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls, he lost the elections and later a bye-election too.</p>.<p>He aspired to become the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) but that too did not materialise.</p>.<p>He was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from 2016 to 2017, but he resigned from Congress.</p>.<p>He formed his own party, the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha (MSP), and was elected to the Rajya Sabha on a BJP nomination in 2018.</p>
