Narayan Rane's son Nilesh Rane to join Shiv Sena, contest from Kudal assembly seat

Mumbai: Nilesh Rane, son of BJP MP Narayan Rane, on Tuesday said he will join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and contest the Kudal assembly election.

As per the seat-sharing formula in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the Kudal constituency is with the Shiv Sena, and that is the reason for Nilesh to switch from the BJP to the Sena, party sources said.

Vaibhav Naik of Shiv Sena (UBT), who is an old rival of the Ranes, is sitting MLA from Kudal, which is part of Narayan Rane’s Lok Sabha constituency, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg.

The adjoining Kankavali assembly constituency is represented by Nilesh’s younger brother Nitesh, who is with the BJP.

Nilesh Rane, who was earlier with the Congress, was the MP from the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg constituency from 2009 to 2014. He joined the BJP in 2014 and lost the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.