Speaking at a function at Vairag recently, Rane's predecessor Manohar Joshi had assured to carve out a new taluka. The announcement then had paid rich dividends to the Shiv Sena in the form of former Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) MLA Chandrakant Nimbalkar changing his loyalties to Sena with hundreds of his followers. Creation of Vairag taluka was a part of Nimbalkar's pre-requisites to support Sena.

According to Joshi, Vairag was supposed to come into existence on May 1, the Maharashtra Day.

Apparently endeavouring to strengthen his party's base in this Congress and PWP dominated parts of western Maharashtra, Joshi had held long negotiations with Nimbalkar, before he conceded creation of Vairag taluka. The announcement made later at a well-attended rally had evoked a tremendous response.

The announcement had seen the political equations in this corner of Solapur receiving a twist with Nimbalkar winning an edge over his arch political antagonist Dilip Sopal. Incidentally, Vairag is a part of Sopal's Barshi assembly constituency.

Many political analysts had seen creation of Vairag taluka as an intelligent move by Joshi to put Sopal, a staunch Sharad Pawar follower who then was among the independent MLAs supporting the saffron alliance from outside, under a constant threat.

Apparently Sopal's induction in the State cabinet by Rane eliminated the cause for carving out separate Vairag taluka. The Sopal-Rane equation which also has been resulted in the former getting an additional excise portfolio was being cited as the last straw that shelved the proposed Vairag taluka.

Deletion of Vairag from the saffron alliance government's list of 28 new talukas is being translated as Sopal strengthening his stronghold.

Yet, PWP man turned Shivsainik Nimbalkar has been watching the situation, say political observers since Sopal could top the list of the Pawar supporters ditching Shiv Sena.