Congress backtracked from chief minister promise: Narayan Rane as he quits party

Former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane said on Thursday that he has quit the Congress amid speculation that he was planning to join the BJP.

He said he has also resigned as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC). He added that his son and former Congress Member of Parliament Nilesh Rane has also resigned from the party. 

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

"Ahmed Patel had told me after I joined Congress that I would be made the chief minister," Rane said while addressing a press conference in his native Sindhudurg district.

"Even Madam (Sonia Gandhi) had told me twice that I would be made the chief minister," he added.

"I have not yet decided where to go," Rane said, referring to the speculation about his joining the BJP.

Rumours of Mr Rane joining the BJP surfaced a few months back after reports that he had met BJP president Amit Shah in Ahmedabad.

The negotiations with the BJP, however, were stalled in May since he had demanded a berth for himself in the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis Cabinet, a report in DNA earlier stated citing BJP sources.

Devendra Fadnavis had also visited Mr Rane's residence during the recent Ganesh festival

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

He joined the Congress on July 26, 2005, and the next day was made revenue minister in the then Congress-led government in the state.