Uddhav Thackeray, Narayan Rane share stage after 12 years

Twelve years after his bitter parting of ways with the party which made him Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Congress leader Narayan Rane today shared the stage with Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
The occasion was 'bhumipujan' (ground-breaking) ceremony of the quadrupling of Mumbai-Goa Highway at Kudal in the coastal Sindhudurg district, which is Rane's bastion.
Rane, who was expelled from Shiv Sena in 2005, also heaped praise on Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who were present at the event.
Rane's praise for Gadkari and Fadnavis comes amid speculation in the political circles that he may be on his way to BJP.

Last week, BJP president Amit Shah, when asked during a TV interview if Rane would be joining the party, had said, "Let him approach us first."
Bitter critics over the last decade, both Rane and Thackeray desisted from criticising each other during today's event.
Interestingly, posters in Kudal town showed Rane welcoming Fadnavis and Gadkari to Sindhudurg, but did not feature any other Congress leader.
The Rs 3,487 crore project is expected to boost the connectivity between Mumbai and Goa.