BJP will win Mumbai civic polls, says Narayan Rane; pays tributes at Bal Thackeray's memorial

Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane paid homage to Shiv Sena supremo late Balasaheb Thackeray at his memorial here on Thursday and later claimed the BJP will win the forthcoming polls to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation currently ruled by the SenaEarlier Sena MP Vinayak Raut had opposed Ranes visit to the memorial at the Shivaji Park in Dadar area saying he had no right to pay respects to Balasaheb Thackeray as the BJP leaders actions of breaking the Shiv Sena caused a lot of pain to the party founderBut Senas Dadar MLA Sada Sarvankar said he had no directives from the party leadership to prevent Rane from visiting the memorial during the latters Jan Ashirwad Yatra in the cityFormer Maharashtra chief minister Rane who was earlier with the Sena before joining the Congress and subsequently switching over to the BJP in 2019 also visited Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkars memorial located nearbyLater talking to reporters Rane said Balasaheb Thackeray may not be physically present but he will bless him to do good workThrough my ministry I will work for generating employment opportunities The BJP will win the BMC Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls and the job of ensuring it is with all the BJP leaders including myself he saidAlso read Narayan Rane has no moral right to visit Balasahebs memorial Shiv Sena MP Vinayak RautReferring to Vinayak Rauts comments that the Sena will prevent him from coming to the Shivaji Park Rane said when it comes to paying tributes peoples sentiments must be respectedSpeak directly what you want to say Dont ask your left or right to talk he said in a veiled attack on state Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav ThackerayThe BJP will win the BMC polls and end the sins committed over 32 years asserted Rane who was recently inducted into the Union cabinetTo a question on the CMs comments that political gatherings must be avoided in view of the COVID19 pandemic Rane said Those who have come to power through backdoor shouldnt preach us Seeing the response to the Jan Ashirwad Yatra one must understand their days are numberedThe Shiv Sena fell out with the BJP after the state Assembly polls in 2019 over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post and subsequently tiedup with the NCP and Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government in the stateRanes tour is being seen a major show of strength by the BJP ahead of the crucial BMC polls due early next yearHis yatra was flagged off by Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Devendra Fadnavis from the city airportAddressing party workers after reaching Kalanagar in suburban Bandra near the residence of CM Uddhav Thackeray Rane sought the blessings of BJP workers for the civic pollsBJPs Trupti Sawant who had defeated Rane when he was in the Congress and she was a member of the Shiv Sena in the Bandra East Assembly by election few years ago was present at Kalanagar along with BJP leader Kripashankar SinghRane said he would use his MSME portfolio for the welfare of Marathi people and improvement of the countrys GDPIn two years the present MVA government has taken the state backwards People of Mumbai will teach you a lesson in the forthcoming BMC polls You shouldnt speak things which you cannot do he saidApart from Mumbai Rane will also visit the states Konkan region during his sevenday tourEarlier this week Union ministers Bharti Pawar Kapil Patil and Bhagwat Karad who were also recently inducted into the Union cabinet toured different parts of the stateThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever