The decision to appoint Nitin Gadkari as president of the BJP has set the stage for an overhaul of the party, altering equations within its Maharashtra unit.
The decision to appoint Nitin Gadkari as president of the BJP has set the stage for an overhaul of the party, altering equations within its Maharashtra unit. A formal announcement naming Gadkari, 52, as the successor to Rajnath Singh is expected next month.
The race to succeed Gadkari in Maharashtra has already begun, with his supporters vying with those of BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde to ensure that control of the party stays with them. The big question is what Munde’s role will be, an insider said.
An aide of Munde said, “If he is determined to continue at [the] centre, he will have to work under Gadkari as vice-president or general secretary. The other option would be to become general secretary in charge of Maharashra, a post held by the late Pramod Mahajan.” The possibility of Munde taking over as state BJP chief is being ruled out at the moment.
A source in the party said, “Attempts are being made to promote senior leader Pandurang Phundkar as the next state president. At present he is leader of the opposition in the state legislative council.”
Phundkar is a close associate of Munde. If he becomes state president it would be a face-saver for Munde, who does not want to lose control of the state unit altogether.
But Eknath Khadse, leader of the opposition in the state assembly, is also seen to be close to Munde. So, some believe GenNext state general secretary Vinod Tawde could be asked to replace Phundkar as leader of the opposition in the council.
Young Turks within the BJP are also lobbying for Tawde to become the state unit chief. For his part, Tawde is non-committal, leaving a decision on his future to the core committee.
Within the BJP, Tawde is seen to have better working relations with Gadkari. Not surprisingly, the Munde camp may not like to elevate him to state president now.
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