Narayan Rane set to launch new party

Narayan Rane, the former revenue minister of Maharashtra, currently serving a suspension from the Congress party is all set to launch his own political outfit.

I don't trust Sonia Gandhi, says Rane 

The former Shiv Sena rebel on Friday said he would announce his future plans on January 6.

Rane's exit may affect the Congress' fortunes in Mumbai and Konkan region.

While the Congress maintains a tough stand against him after he publicly criticised the party for not making him the chief minister, Rane claimed, "There has been no effort to pursue me from Congress. Even if there were any such efforts, it would not have affected my decision."

Rane was expecting to become the next chief minister when the Congress leadership forced Vilasrao Deshmukh to resign from the Chief Minister's chair following the Mumbai terror attack.

Levelling charges against Deshmukh, Rane on Friday said, "Deshmukh deliberately delayed the tabling of Comptroller and Auditor General's report in the assembly, which had passed strictures for allotting government land to an institute headed by him."

Taking a dig at state Congress President Manikrao Thakre, Rane said, "Person who can't get elected from his own constituency, should not try to give me lessons in politics."

Meanwhile, speaking with media persons after the party meeting at state Congress's headquarters, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said, "I would like Rane to work in the Congress under Sonia Gandhi's leadership. But he has to take his own decision; I am no one to pursue him to stay in the Congress."