Munde, who was the deputy chief minister during the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government from 1995 to 1999 and the Union rural development minister in the Narendra Modi’s cabinet, died in a road mishap on June 3, 2014. A leader from the Vanjari community, he was credited with helping BJP building up a base among the masses.
A year after senior BJP leader and former Union minister Gopinath Munde's death, his party lacks a charismatic leader with a pan-Maharashtra base who can fill his shoes. This is despite the BJP coming to power in the state.
Munde, who was the deputy chief minister during the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government from 1995 to 1999 and the Union rural development minister in the Narendra Modi’s cabinet, died in a road mishap on June 3, 2014. A leader from the Vanjari community, he was credited with helping BJP building up a base among the masses.
Today, his eldest daughter Pankaja is the minister for rural development in Maharashtra while another daughter Dr Pritam Khade-Munde has replaced him in the Lok Sabha. Munde's nephew Dhananjay, who was once seen as his political successor, is now with the NCP and the leader of the opposition in the state legislative council.
“The BJP was seen as an upper-class, upper-caste party. Munde changed this,” noted former Sena Rajya Sabha MP and senior journalist Bharatkumar Raut. He pointed to the paradox of the BJP coming to power on Modi's charisma after the death of its tallest leader but questioned the longevity of this wave. “At some point, the BJP will have to stand on its own.”
Moreover, the backward Marathwada region lacked a leader of Munde's stature. “Munde was not restricted to his own caste but went on to be a leader of all oppressed sections,” said Raut.
“The vacuum created by a leader like Munde could not be occupied by anyone (in the BJP),” noted Surendra Jondhale, professor, department of civics and politics, University of Mumbai. He said that Munde's presence would have helped iron out differences between the Shiv Sena and BJP.
However, a BJP MLA contested the contention about the party being seen as one without widespread presence of grassroots leaders and pointed to how the party had made a surge in the assembly elections even in Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena strongholds after splitting with the Sena.
“Munde saheb was the BJP's face, but after the state assembly polls, it was proved that we have made an impact even without him,” said a senior BJP leader.
He added that now, the “collective leadership” of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, revenue minister Eknath Khadse, finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and education minister Vinod Tawade had emerged within the party.
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