At what price

Well, it wasn’t entirely a question of the Marathi Manoos that led the Shiv Sena to extend support to Pratibha Patil. According to Maharashtra BJP state unit president Nitin Gadkari, Sena chief Bal Thackeray extracted a promise from the Congress leadership that Narayan Rane would not be made chief minister in return for the Sainiks voting for Patil.

Whether there is truth in the statement or not, Rane is taking the remarks seriously. It concerns his political career after all.