MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Rane is raring to defect from the Congress to the BJP, but the final call on whether or not to admit into the saffron party is to be taken by Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis.
Rane has announced he would declare his next move on September 21 but clarity is not likely to emerge before the BJP national executive sits in Delhi on September 24-25.
Despite the broad hints thrown by Rane that he is BJP bound, there has been no official reaction from the destination party in Maharashtra. A senior leader in the state said party president Amit Shah and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis would be the ones to take a call in this regard but both have different perspectives on the question.
While Fadnavis is said to be opposed to Rane's entry, Shah is keen as part of his strategy to win every additional seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
Narayan Rane's entry into the BJP is likely to have implications for the party's alliance with the Shiv Sena, which was Rane's party before he switched allegiance to the Congress under acrimonious circumstances.
A day after he staged a show of strength in his home borough, Rane said that he has several options, including one offer from the Shiv Sena to join the party.
"I shall reveal my next step only on Thursday. There are several options. I have an offer even from the Shiv Sena," Rane said in a TV interview. He declined to reveal details.
"Shiv Sena knows well that if I join the BJP, it will be very difficult for them and that is the reason why they are trying create hurdles. With me, the BJP will be in a good position to win the 2019 Assembly polls on its own and that is the reason why the offer has come from the Shiv Sena," Rane said.
"However, I decided long ago that I shall not join the Shiv Sena ever again," Rane said.