Nitesh dismisses talks of Narayan Rane joining BJP

Congress MLA Nitesh Rane has dismissed the speculation that his father and senior party leader Narayan Rane is planning to join the BJP.
Political circles are abuzz with the talks of Rane switching over to the saffron party and meeting BJP leaders in New Delhi.
"My father had gone to Delhi yesterday for some personal work. I would like to categorically state that we (Rane, brother Nilesh and himself) will continue to be with the Congress," Nitesh, the MLA from Kudal, said.
He alleged that an "air of mistrust" was being created about his family.
"I will not raise the issue at a party forum, unless and until I have the proof as to who is spreading such rumours. We expect introspection for the party's electoral defeats. If the Congress can win in Punjab, it can win in Maharashtra as well.

"As a party worker and a member of the Rane family, I would say we want to strengthen the Congress," Nitesh said.

"The need of the hour is to stay united. If that happens, the party can expect to have its chief minister (in Maharashtra) in 2019. We have never said that we are planning to quit the party," he added.
Referring to Rane's "political earthquake" remark, Nitesh said it was his father's "style of speech".
On the party's win in the Sindhudurg zilla parishad election, the Congress MLA said his family was delivering the results and wanted the party to do well in the state.

Nitesh said he will take part in the 'Sangharsh Yatra' being organised by the opposition parties from tomorrow to highlight the plight of farmers and added that his father will take up the issue in the legislative council.
Earlier, Nilesh, the elder son of Rane, had written to the central leadership of the Congress, seeking the removal of Ashok Chavan from the post of the party's Maharashtra unit chief if it harboured hopes of returning to power in the state.
On March 23, Rane too had scotched the "rumours" that he was going to quit the Congress and alleged that such things were being spread by his "detractors within the party".