‘Won’t return to state politics’
Deputy leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde reiterated on Friday that he was not willing to return to state politics.
Deputy leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (Lok Sabha ) leader Gopinath Munde reiterated on Friday that he was not willing to return to state politics.
Munde was speaking at a function at Sangli organised by party workers to felicitate him because he recently turned 60. “I am happy in Delhi and will continue to stay in Delhi,” Munde said.
The BJP leader was felicitated by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in the presence of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders. This was the first time since he became chief minister that Chavan was sharing the dais with a prominent opposition leader.
Almost all the speakers at the rally referred to Munde’s ambition of becoming the chief minister of Maharashtra. Forest minister Patangrao Kadam and rural development minister Jayant Patil joked that Munde was doing well in Delhi and need not return to state politics.
Patil, however, added that politics is unpredictable. It has been proven that a leader from Delhi can become the chief minister of Maharashtra, he said referring to Chavan.
Munde, in turn, took dig at Kadam and Patil saying that they should first look for better portfolios. He underlined the need for unity among political leaders on issues of education, irrigation and industry. “Maharashtra will face serious consequences if we do not come together on these three crucial issues,” he said.