A suitable party for Rane

The rivalry between coalition partners,the Congress and NCP,for supremacy in Maharashtra politics is getting intense ahead of general elections. The NCP recently offered a bait to suspended Congress leader Narayan Rane who,with the backing of Chief Minister Ashok Chavan,has been seeking a reprieve from the high command. A top NCP leader met Rane in Mumbai and offered to accommodate him at the Centre if he joined the party. As per NCPs calculations,Ranes entry into the party would boost its chances in at least half-a-dozen Lok Sabha seats. With the Shiv Sena,BSP and RPI also making overtures,Rane is weighing his options. The reasoning: his ambition to become CM appears bleak in the NCP and non-existent in smaller parties. That explains his efforts to buy peace with the Congress high command.