Big political challenge ahead of Ranes on home turf

The Ranes face the biggest-ever challenge on their home turf of Konkan, as back-to-back elections—the April-May Lok Sabha elections and October's Assembly elections—have shaken up the politics of coastal belt.

The region consists of three districts—Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. Four other districts—Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburbs, Thane and Palghar—too are part of the Konkan region, but technically Mumbai and parts of Thane, Palghar and Raigad are part of Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Konkan strongman Narayan Rane was defeated from Kudal-Malvan in the Assembly polls. However, his son Nitesh managed to win the Kankavli seat. In the general elections, older son Dr Nilesh Rane lost from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg.

Rane was the industries minister in the Democratic Front government in the state. He had a brief stint as chief minister in the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government before becoming leader of the opposition.

The Konkan region, known for its “money-order economy”, has been a traditional Shiv Sena bastion. However, things have changed since 2005, when Narayan Rane switched to the Congress after being expelled by late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray for revolting against his son Uddhav.

This was coupled with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP's emergence, as some its top leaders—Sunil Tatkare and Bhaskar Jadhav—hail from here.

Rane Sr has won six times from here, but was defeated by the Sena's Vaibhav Naik this time.

“There are issues within issues. People had sympathy for the Shiv Sena after it split with the BJP. Besides, the Congress-NCP government faced anti-incumbency, having been in power for 15 years. Members of several other parties, including the NCP, are against the Ranes' dominance,” said a political observer.

While the Sena managed to keep Narayan Rane out of the Assembly, leaders like the NCP's Jadhav and Tatkare defended their bastions. Jadhav was re-elected from Guhagar, while Tatkare's nephew Avdhoot won the Shrivardhan seat. Tatkare himself is an MLC and state NCP president.

The Sena won seven out of the 15 seats in the region, the NCP won three and the Congress and the PWP won two each. The BJP managed only one.

“The coming days would be crucial. Rane has been asking the Congress high command to make him a chief ministerial candidate. Earlier, he had challenged the leadership of Prithviraj Chavan. He had revolted and gone to New Delhi, and now he has lost the elections. One will have to watch out for his next move,” said a political analyst from Konkan.