The Hindu : Front Page : Rane quits as Opposition leader

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Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005

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Rane quits as Opposition leader

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena rebel Narayan Rane on Tuesday resigned as the Leader of the Opposition even as Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar recognised Ramdas Kadam as the party's leader in the House.

Mr. Kupekar announced in the Assembly that he had accepted the Shiv Sena's letter informing him of four resolutions that its legislators had passed at their meeting last week. These include the appointment of Mr. Kadam in the place of Mr. Rane and the continuation of Gajanan Kirtikar as the party's chief whip. This rendered inconsequential Mr. Rane's application to the Speaker seeking the unseating of the 23 Sena MLAs for not attending the meeting convened by him. But Mr. Kupekar said he would rule in the matter later. Mr. Rane had been claiming that it was compulsory for all the Shiv Sena MLAs to attend the meeting convened by him for he continued to be the party leader in the House.

Ruling party member Janardan Chandurkar said the Speaker should express his view on Mr. Rane's petition and consider forming a committee to deal with it. Mr. Kupekar, however, read out his verdict amid an uproar from members of the ruling Democratic Alliance. The House was adjourned for 15 minutes.

When it reconvened, Mr. Rane announced that he was stepping down as the Leader of the Opposition. He said he was obliged to the Shiv Sena supremo, Bal Thackeray. "But today I am facing a sad situation which I wish does not arise in anybody's life," he said, turning emotional. "I am expelled from the party that raised me and I do know why."

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