Ganesh Jethe
When has the candidature of Thackeray Shiv Sena's candidate, sitting MP Vinayak Raut, been announced? He has conducted a session of holding 'Khala Sitkadha' in many villages across the constituency. But the question of who is the candidate of Mahayuti remained unanswered till Friday evening. Union Minister Narayan Rane made a show of strength at Kudal in Sindhudurga saying that if the party nominates him, he will fight and announce. At the same time, Kiran Samant, brother of Minister Uday Samant, also held a rally of activists in Ratnagiri and claimed that the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency is his. Rane and Samant are on one side making a pre-candidacy show of strength, while on the other side they are trying to reconcile each other as a precautionary measure.
Uday Samant suddenly met Rane in Kudal. At the same time, MLA Nitesh Rane announced that there is amicable relationship between Rane and Samant family beyond politics. In a show of strength in Ratnagiri, Kiran Samant tried to increase this reconciliation further by saying that Nilesh Rane would win the assembly elections in Kudal by a margin of 50 thousand votes.
From BJP, Rane has said that the BJP has a claim on the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency, while Uday Samant is claiming that this constituency belongs to the Shiv Sena. Both these allies in the Grand Alliance have a strong claim for this seat. That is why the show of strength is going on from both sides. As the announcement of candidature for this constituency is delayed, the unrest within the grand alliance has increased. But both BJP and Shiv Sena feel that they will get the nomination. So at present both the parties are not in a mood to incur each other's displeasure. When Rane held a press conference in Mumbai, when Kiran Samant's name came up, he folded his hands and said 'Hey Bapre'. Due to this, resentment was spread in Samant Gota. Kiran Samant had shared a post on social media that he was withdrawing. Later it was withdrawn after Shiv Sena leaders came to an understanding. However, Uday Samant immediately met Rane in Kudal and tried to ensure that there is no resentment in BJP and Shiv Sena. After this meeting, reconciliation efforts have started rapidly between BJP and Shiv Sena.
While efforts are being made to promote reconciliation on one side, the show of power continues on the other side. Rane had a big gathering of workers in Kudal. The activists participated in it spontaneously. After this gathering, a coordination meeting of Mahayuti was also held. Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar was present in this meeting though Samant was not present. We insist that Kiran Samant should be nominated in it. However, it was announced that if Rane gets the nomination, we will campaign to get him elected. Therefore, Rane-Kesarkar, who were against each other in politics for many years, have now started walking hand in hand. Rane has tried to put an end to the controversy by saying that Kesarkar now speaks well of me, meaning that my planet has changed, and that it is Kesarkar's magnanimity. Meanwhile, Rane held a gathering of workers in Ratnagiri district on Friday.
Kiran Samant also showed strength in Ratnagiri. Kiran Samant was lifted on the head by the gathered activists very spontaneously. Speaking in front of the workers in this Shaktiperasha Mela, he announced that he will win Nilesh Rane, who is willing to contest the Assembly elections from Kudal, with a large margin of votes. This means that if Samant gets the candidature, knowing that Rane's support is necessary to get elected, Samant has started taking reconciliation steps. If either Rane or Samant gets the nomination, they will need each other to get elected. Rane has more strength in Sindhudurga and Samant has more strength in Ratnagiri. That is why this path of reconciliation is being followed. Overall, Thackeray is adopting a strategy of holding hands with Rane and Samant to stop Shiv Sena's Vinayak Raut. Who will get the candidature that is waiting now? BJP or Shiv Sena? Rane or Samant?
