Cong can't become number one party in near future: Rane

He accused theCongress and outsiders of fanning the protests.Shah will be in Sindhudurg district on Sunday, wherehe is scheduled to inaugurate Ranes medical college andhospital.Rane, who was Maharashtra chief minister during theShiv Sena-led government in the early 1990s, is currently aRajyaSabha MP from the BJP.

BJP leader Narayan Rane onSaturday took a dig at the Congress saying that it cannotbecome number one party in the state and at the national levelin the near future.

His statement comes a day after the Congress's newly-appointed Maharashtra unit chief Nana Patole said thatbringing the party back on top in the state was his priority.

Talking to reporters at Kankavli in coastal Sindhudurgdistrict, Rane who was in the Congress before joining the BJP,said Patole did not tell how much time it would take for himto make his party number one again.

''That is not possible in the near future. It is onlythe BJP which will be the numero uno party at the national andstate level,'' Rane said.

He also hit out at Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray,accusing him of taking the state backwards in terms of economyand infrastructure development.

''I pray Home minister Amit Shah's visit to Sindhudurgtomorrow is a good omen to pave the way for the fall of theMVA government,'' he said.

Rane accused Thackeray of giving up the Hindutvaagendain order to become the chief minister.

Speaking about next year's civic polls in Mumbai, Ranesaid the next city mayor will be of the BJP.

''Gujarati community in Mumbai will stand by Modi andShah. We have done PhD in engineering defections,'' he said.

''BJP is capable of taking on the Shiv Sena,'' he said.

Rane said the new farm laws were in interest offarmers and wondered why they were protesting. He accused theCongress and ''outsiders'' of fanning the protests.

Shah will be in Sindhudurg district on Sunday, wherehe is scheduled to inaugurate Rane's medical college andhospital.

Rane, who was Maharashtra chief minister during theShiv Sena-led government in the early 1990s, is currently aRajyaSabha MP from the BJP.