Nitesh Narayan Rane

Some Lesser Known Facts About Nitesh Narayan Rane

• Nitesh Narayan Rane is an Indian politician who is a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Kankavli constituency. He is the younger son of Narayan Tatya Rane.

• He grew up in Mumbai with his elder brother Nilesh.

  

• In 2006, after earning an MBA degree from Middlesex University, London, he returned to Mumbai, where he started an NGO, Swabhiman Sanghatana, that aims at addressing the issues like unemployment, health services, and basic infrastructure.

  

• In 2009, he did not show his interest in contesting the Maharashtra assembly elections, rather he focussed on his NGO, Swabhiman Sanghatana, to address the issues of the common people of Maharashtra.

• In 2008, Viral Dholakia, a member of Nitesh Narayan Rane’s NGO Swabhiman Sanghatana, died in a police lathi charge while he was protesting in front of the headquarters of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

• In 2010, the supporters of Nitesh and Sainiks had an altercation at Dadar station over flagging off a Konkan-bound train. ^[18]Hindustan Times

• The state Congress did not like Swabhiman’s growing influence, and State Congress president Manikrao Thakre asked the Ranes to stop running a parallel organization when the party already had the Youth Congress following which Nitesh quit his post in the city youth Congress and demanded the post of the state youth Congress chief. ^[19]Hindustan Times

• In 2010, his NGO, Swabhimaan Sanghatana, launched a toll-free water helpline number, 1800-200-9837, for the residents of Mumbai, where they can make complaints about water tanker issues. In an interview, while questioning the intention of the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, Nitesh said,
  

  They have been claiming that the civic body is disconnecting unauthorised water connections. Two of Sena’s party offices, in Chembur and Mahim, have unauthorised connections. Why haven’t they been disconnected?”

• In 2011, Swabhiman Sanghatana NGO entered the Guinness World Records for providing jobs to 25,300 unemployed youths. ^[20]DNA India

• In February 2012, he started a training program, Sindhudurg Tour Guide, to promote tourism in Sindhudurg and provide employment to local youths; he also started a mobile service, Naukri Express, to provide employment to local youths.

• In 2014, he contested the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections from the Kankavli constituency on a Congress ticket; he defeated Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pramod Jathar by 25979 votes.

• In 2019, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections and won from the Kankavli constituency by a margin of 84,504 votes.

  

• In 2021, a banner was flagged near the BJP office in Girgaon bearing the name of Nitesh Narayan Rane as missing; a reward in the form of a hen was also mentioned for those who would find him.

• He is the director of eleven companies including Amison Fisheries Limited, Rane Ventures Private Limited, Sindhudurg Food Products Private Limited, Nilesh Spices And Masala Mills Private Limited, Nnr Steel Private Limited, Skywalk Builders Private Limited, Nice Auto Dealer Private Limited, Neelam Hotels Private Limited, Laksh Properties Private Limited, Excel Realty Holdings Private Limited, and Nnr Biofuels Limited.

• Nitesh is an accomplished cartoonist, and he often shares his views through his cartoons.