Narayan Rane joins NDA, may get cabinet berth in Maharashtra government

Former senior Congress leader Narayan Rane joined the BJP-led NDA government on Tuesday.

Maharashtra Cabinet, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who announced the news, said the state cabinet would be expanded soon and "we will think about him and what should be done."

"We'll have a cabinet expansion soon. Narayan Rane has joined NDA, we will think about him what should be done," the Maharashtra chief minister told ANI.

Earlier this month, Narayan Rane floated a new party called the Maharashtra Swabhimaan Paksh.

His party was expected to support the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in Maharashtra.

The alliance was struck after Rane met BJP President Amit Shah, media reports said, adding that the BJP had asked for his indirect support after the Shiv Sena threatened to walk out of the coalition should Rane be allowed into the party.

Narayan Rane quit the Congress in September amid speculation that he was planning to join the BJP.

The former senior Congress leader had accused the Congress of going back on its promise of making him the chief minister after he joined the party 12 years ago.

A former member of the Shiv Sena, Narayan Rane was the chief minister in the Sena government in 1999.