The Congress on Saturday suspended its senior Maharashtra leader Narayan Rane [Images], a day after his outburst against the party president Sonia Gandhi [Images] and a number of others when he lost the chief ministerial race.

"It has been observed that after the announcement of the new leader of the CLP in Maharashtra, Narayan Rane is making public statements deliberately with a view to lowering the prestige of the Indian National Congress," said AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi.

"The party has taken a serious view of his utterances and considering this as a case of gross indiscipline, Narayan Rane has been suspended from the party with immediate effect," he said in a statement hours before Rane was scheduled to hold a press conference in Mumbai today.

Rane, who was overlooked by the party high command in favour Ashok Chavan [Images] for Chief Ministership, had attacked the Congress leadership yesterday accusing it of reneging on a promise to make him the chief minister.

"I don't trust even Sonia Gandhi anymore", he said which party sources said was the trigger for his suspension.

Rane, a leader from the Konkan area who had left Shiv Sena three years ago, had attacked not only Deshmukh but also Ashok Chavan and some central leaders and accused them of conspiring and ignoring his claim for the top job in the state.

What he said about Sonia Gandhi yesterday: I don't trust Sonia Gandhi, says Rane