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Narayan Rane tipped to succeed Manohar Joshi in Maharashtra

Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Bombay

Even though the storm that threatened the chief ministership of Manohar Joshi has blown over, sources in the Shiv Sena indicate that the lull is only temporary and that Maharashtra may shortly witness a change at the top.

Sena chief Bal Thackeray, the sources aver, stopped gunning for Joshi after levelling serious charges against him in the party newspaper Saamna last week, not out of any concern for the chief minister but because he did not want to precipitate a crisis when the state assembly was in session.

The state assembly, which began its Budget session on March 16, is scheduled to wind up this session by the first week of May.

Already, several names are doing the rounds, of those who are tipped to succeed Joshi as chief minister. Sena insiders claim that among the contenders, Dame Luck could smile on Revenue Minister Narayan Rane.

Besides his proximity to the Thackeray family, a factor that matters perhaps more than any other quality in the incumbent, he has cordial relations with every Opposition leader.

"Rane handles the revenue ministry which ranks in importance only after finance. Like Joshi, Rane too has a good image in business circles," the sources said.

The revenue ministry was earlier handled by Sudhir Joshi who was shifted out to the education ministry since he was found wanting here, and Rane was brought in from the animal husbandry ministry.

Talking to Rediff On The NeT, Rane said, "In politics, one needs patience. And I will do whatever Balasaheb tells me to do."

Asked specifically if he was interested in the CM's post, Rane said, "In politics, besides patience, one cannot reveal everything and some facts have to be kept a secret."

Sources in the Sena said relations between Thackeray and Joshi started deteriorating ever since files which were sent from the party chief's home were not cleared immediately.

Confounding matters was the party's debacle in the general election when it lost nine of the 15 seats it had won in 1996. Interestingly, the party lost even the Bombay North-Central seat, which included Dadar, Joshi's constituency.

Discussing the crisis within the party, State Transport Minister Pramod Navalkar told Rediff On The NeT that in the Sena, the final decision always rested with Thackeray.

He, however, categorically stated that differences between Thackeray and the chief minister have been sorted out, and that the Sena-BJP government will last its full term.

However, other sources insisted that "a cabinet reshuffle, in which six ministers will be replaced, is likely to take place after the assembly session is over, and along with that a decision on replacing the CM will also be taken."

Commenting on the goings-on in the Sena, Chhagan Bhujbal, leader of the Opposition in the legislative council and a Sainik-turned-Congressman, said, "Thackeray has this habit of blaming others for his party's electoral defeats. So it will not be surprising if he replaces Joshi with another Sena leader."

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