PUNE, 5 November 2005 — The Hindu fundamentalist Shiv Sena party received a severe jolt yesterday when three of its prominent legislators from the Konkan region submitted their resignation to Maharashtra Legislature Assembly Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar.
The Sena legislators — Subhash Bane representing Sangameshwar, Shankar Kambli (Vengulra) and Ganpat Kadam (Rajapur) — all close friends of Revenue Minister Narayan Rane — said in a letter to the speaker that they were resigning their assembly seats and joining the Congress Party. The legislators also informed the Shiv Sena leadership of their resignations from the party through a fax message.
According to Congress Party sources, nine more Shiv Sena legislators, all supporters of Rane, are expected to resign from the Shiv Sena next week and join the Congress. With Rane roping in a large chunk of legislators from the Shiv Sena to the Congress fold, he may stake his claim for chief ministership, toppling the current incumbent Vilasrao Deshmukh.
According to political sources, a deal to grant the top post to Rane was discussed during a meeting Rane had with Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi last month. It was agreed in the meeting that if Rane is successful in creating a dent in the Shiv Sena and brings in at least 10 Shiv Sena legislators, Congress would consider him for the state’s chief ministership. Now that Rane has jolted the Shiv Sena, it is likely that he may replace Deshmukh before the State Assembly session beginning on Dec. 5 or in the first week of 2006.
