Kiran Samant, brother of minister Uday Samant, had been preparing to contest the Lok sabha elections After joining the Shinde group, BJP leader Nilesh Rane often expressed his displeasure on WhatsApp status and sometimes on Facebook to prevent him from getting a ticket. Even after the election was announced, the Samant brothers were so tense that the BJP could not declare a candidate till the very last day. When Samant finally announced his withdrawal, the BJP announced Narayan Rane's candidature.
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Rane filed his nomination papers from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg today. He was accompanied by Kiran Samant. But as soon as they came out, Kiran Samant again expressed his displeasure in different words, saying that if there was a bow and arrow symbol in Ratnagiri Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency, there would have been a lot of votes.
"We have withdrawn from the race after consulting with family and to achieve 45 plus seats in the state. I'm not upset. If there was a bow and arrow symbol in this constituency, there would have been a lot of votes. I will work with everyone in the future. People of Konkan will never forget the bow and arrow," Samant said.