Maharashtra Polls: Nitesh Rane, Son Of Former CM Narayan Rane, Joins BJP

Putting all the speculations to the rest, Nitesh Rane, son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He will contest the upcoming state Assembly polls from Kankavli seat on BJP's ticket. 

This comes a day after Narayan Rane asserted that his son Nitesh Rane will contest the upcoming state Assembly polls from Kankavli seat on BJP's ticket. While talking to PTI, Narayan Rane had also claimed that his son's name will figure in the second list of the BJP. 

It is to be noted that the development also comes weeks ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections. The state goes to polls on October 21 and the results will be declared on October 24. The ruling BJP on Tuesday declared its first list of 125 candidates for the October 21 state polls, including names of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state unit president Chandrakant Patil, but high-profile figures Eknath Khadse and Vindo Tawde missing from it. 

It is worth mentioning here that Nitesh Rane won the 2014 Assembly polls from Kankavli seat in Sindhudurg district on Congress' ticket by defeating the then BJP MLA Pramod Jathar.  

On the other hand, Narayan Rane was earlier in the Shiv Sena, which he quit in 2005 and joined the Congress. He remained with the Congress till 2017 following which he formed his own political outfit and became an ally of the ruling BJP. Narayan Rane is currently the Rajya Sabha member on BJP's ticket.