Pawar swings into damage control mode

NCP chief did not like Bhujbal sharing  platform with Pawar-baiter Munde

Taking a “serious view” of the veiled attack by Public Works Department minister Chhagan Bhujbal against his own party, the NCP, on Sunday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has swung into damage-control mode. A senior NCP leader said, “Pawar is both disturbed and angry with Bhujbal for the public criticism of NCP and his praise for the Shiv Sena.”

In fact, for the last three days now, top NCP leaders have held several parleys to prevent Bhujbal from going ahead and kicking off a “Marathas versus OBC” struggle within the organisation. What also irked Pawar was Bhujbal’s sharing of a public platform with Gopinath Munde, a staunch anti-Pawar leader in the BJP.

In fact, Pawar has decided to personally “talk tough” with senior NCP leaders for not taking old guards like Bhujbal, Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, into confidence on organisational matters. The NCP is already confronted with internal fighting in six districts. Pawar set up a committee last month to resolve the situation in these districts.

Stating that Bhujbal’s outburst was in no way an attack on Pawar or the organisation, state NCP president Arun Gujarathi said, “He is the most valued OBC leader who was instrumental in building the NCP.”

Not just the NCP chief but even Congress leaders are drawing political conjectures from the Bhujbal-Munde “handshake” at a public function, with several of them describing it as political networking among OBC leaders to consolidate base and keep their political masters on the tentorhooks.

While terming the development “as proof of Bhujbal’s efforts to assert himself, especially after NCP’s sidelining of the backward leader”, Congress’s Hussain Dalwai said, “There is a lesson for the Congress in this.”

According to a top BJP functionary, “It’s a fact that BJP general secretary Munde finds himself facing internal challenges within the party post-Pramod Mahajan era. There is a section within both the state and central BJP which is clearly trying to curtail his decision-making power in Maharashtra matters.” However, the section close to state BJP president Nitin Gadkari gave an impression that, “By sharing the platform with Bhujbal, Munde has signalled to NCP boss Sharad Pawar that BJP’s doors are open for Bhujbal. Also, he is trying to position himself as the main OBC leader across party lines.”

Officially, neither Munde or Bhujbal has ever talked of distancing themselves from their present organisations.

Bhujbal has been sidelined in his party post-Telgi stamp paper scam in 2002 and also in the ministry with with the relatively low-profile portfolio of Public Works Department. He has a well established socio-political party called Samata Parishad to pursue his OBC politics. The Parishad recently held a mammoth OBC rally at Patna.

While those close to Munde said, “The BJP top brass will have to reckon with Munde’s mass base within the state.” Munde who is a Banjara wields sizeable following as a backward caste leader within the BJP. Interestingly, Bhujbal who hails from Mali community (OBC) also enjoys clout within the backwards.