Nilesh Rane, the son of Union minister Narayan Rane and a former Lok Sabha MP, announced his withdrawal from active politics on Tuesday, October 24, 2023. He cited a lack of interest in ruling as the reason for his decision and expressed his gratitude to the BJP and his supporters for their love and cooperation
Nilesh Rane was born on June 23, 1972, in Mumbai. He is the elder brother of Nitesh Rane, who is the current MLA from Kankavli constituency in Maharashtra. He completed his graduation from Mumbai University and joined his father's political career. His father, Narayan Rane, is a former chief minister of Maharashtra and currently serves as the minister of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the Narendra Modi-led Cabinet at the Centre
Nilesh Rane made his electoral debut in 2009, when he contested and won the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat as a member of the Indian National Congress. He defeated Shiv Sena's Anant Geete by a margin of over 47,000 votes. He was also appointed as the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress in 2010
However, in 2014, he lost his seat to Shiv Sena's Vinayak Raut by a margin of over 1.5 lakh votes. He also faced allegations of kidnapping and assaulting a Congress worker who had criticised him on social media. He was arrested and granted bail in the case
In 2015, he along with his father and brother quit the Congress and formed a new party called the Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha (MSP). The MSP later allied with the BJP and supported its candidates in the 2017 civic polls and the 2019 assembly polls. Nilesh Rane did not contest any election after 2014
In 2021, he joined the BJP formally after his father was inducted into the Union Cabinet. He was expected to play a key role in strengthening the BJP's base in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. However, he surprised everyone by announcing his exit from active politics on Tuesday
Nilesh Rane's decision has raised many speculations about his future plans and the impact of his move on the BJP's prospects in Maharashtra. Some political observers have suggested that he may be unhappy with his father's portfolio or that he may be facing some personal issues. Others have speculated that he may be planning to join another party or launch a new venture
Whatever may be the reason behind Nilesh Rane's sanyas from politics, it is clear that he has left behind a legacy of controversy and charisma. He was known for his outspokenness and aggression, as well as his popularity among the youth and the masses. He was also involved in various social and cultural activities, such as organising Ganesh festivals and promoting Konkani language and culture