In a shocking revelation, the former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane has said that MNS chief Raj Thackeray wanted to follow him out of the Shiv Sena back in 2005.
According to DNA, Narayan Rane, in his autobiography No Holds Barred: My Years In Politics, has written that “He said he was frustrated with Uddhavji (Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray) and the new leadership and couldn’t survive in the party anymore.” Rane also claimed that “Interestingly, he suggested that he and I must align our interests and start a new party… Although this sounded great in theory, I was more realistic and said to him, ‘Raj, I have worked with a Thackeray before. I know how the Thackerays operate, and I don’t think I ever want to work with a Thackeray again.”
Narayan Rane and Raj Thackeray were both part of the Shiv Sena, but in 2005, Rane quit and joined Congress in 2005. Later in 2006, Raj Thackeray also parted his way and formed his own party named Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. In the book, Rane also claimed that a group of 38 MLAs led by Raj loyalist Bala Nandgaonkar also wanted to go with him, but however only 13.
Rane also claimed that he was being marginalised in the Shiv Sena by Uddhav and his loyalists, said he met party supremo Bal Thackeray and handed over letters of resignation. Rane further added that when Uddhav learned of his father’s efforts to make amends, he threatened to leave Matoshree with his wife Rashmi, breaking the late Sena chief’s convictions, reported the DNA.
