Maharashtra polls: Nitesh Rane faces tough fight from Shiv Sena-backed independent in Kankavali

Alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena seems to be over in Sindhudurg district. Former chief minister Narayan Rane's son Nitesh Rane, who has filed his nomination papers from Kankavali constituency in Sindhudurg district, faces challenge from the Shiv Sena leader Satish Sawant and BJP leader Sandesh Parkar as they are determined to take on the former. This is despite clear indication from the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that rebel will have no place in the MahaYuti (grand alliance.)

Incidentally, Sawant and Parkar are arch rivals of Rane and his sons Nitesh and former MP Nilesh Rane in the Sindhudurg district. Shiv Sena leader in charge of Sindhudurg district Arun Dhudwadkar has revealed that Sawant is party's official nominee against Nitesh Rane in Kankavali seat. Sawant had recently severed his relationship with Rane and left Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha to protest against Rane senior's style of functioning and joined Shiv Sena. Sawant is the chairman of Sindhudurg district central cooperative bank and he has elected to the Zilla Parishad for three consecutive terms from Harkul Budruk area.

Further, Parkar, who is the firebrand leader from Sindhudurg district, through Facebook declared that he has filed nomination as an independent against Nitesh Rane. Parkar in his post said, ''I have been a fighter against injustice. I had joined the BJP which is a banyan tree. I worked quite hard for its growth in Sindhudurg and saw that epiphyte are not grown on banyan tree,'' he noted. However, the Sindhudurg district chief Pramod Jathar indicated that Nitesh Rane will win comfortable in Kankavali constituency.

On his part, former chief minister Narayan Rane has reminded Sawant and Parkar the alliance dharma and hoped that his son Nitesh will emerge victorious as the MahaYuti nominee.

Nitesh Rane had recently hogged the headlines after he and 16 of his supporters were arrested on July 4 by the police for 'assaulting' a deputy engineer. They were caught of camera pouring mud on a deputy engineer to protest the poor condition of the Mumbai Goa highway. The incident had evoked angry reaction from all quarters as the state public works minister Chandrakant Patil had revealed that Narayan Rane had urged him to save his son.