BJP shouldn’t have ignored its seniors: Khadse
After its failure to retain power in state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Eknath Khadse on Wednesday said had the party not ignored senior leaders, it would have easily won 20-25 more seats.
Khadse, Prakash Mehta, Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Vinod Tawde were among the senior BJP leaders and ministers in the previous BJP-led government, who were not given a ticket by the party in the Maharashtra elections this time. “Those who helped this party succeed were left behind. It was my right to walk with the BJP, as I have toiled for the party for 40-42 years,” said Khadse. “Even if the party could not give us tickets, they should not have ignored us.”
He was part of the former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s cabinet in the previous government between 2014 and 2016, until he resigned following allegations of corruption.
Calling Fadnavis’s decision to align with Ajit Pawar a mistake, he said, “My opinion is the BJP should not have taken support of Ajitdada Pawar. He is an accused in the massive irrigation scam and faces many allegations, so we should not have allied with him.”
The BJP, in a grand show ahead of the 2014 state elections, had taken a bullock cart full of irrigation scam documents to the Madhav Chitale Panel that was probing the scam at the time. When asked about the fate of that bullock cart now, Khadse said, “The BJP sold the cart full of grave documents in scrap long ago.” BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, “I have not heard or read what Eknath Khadse said, so I cannot comment. But whatever he has said is his personal opinion.”
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Karnataka Cong requests officials to remove Savarkar's posters in Udupi
The Congress party in Udupi district requested the police and district administration to remove Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's posters installed on the backdrop of Independence Day celebrations. Their move comes after Karnataka Police on August 15 imposed Section 144 in parts of Shivamogga district after a clash over Savarkar and Tipu Sultan's banners at Ameer Ahmed circle on Independence Day. Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said nobody should take the law into their hands at any cost.
-
Bihar: 27 kanwariyas injured after bus hits divider near Purnia
At least 27 kanwariyas were injured, eight of them seriously, when a bus bound to Kishanganj from Deoghar hit the divider on NH-31 near Kajra bridge under Dagarua police station about 15km from Purnia district headquarters on Wednesday morning. Station house officer, Dagarua Ramchandra Mandal claimed the accident took place due to the negligence of the bus driver. An injured, identified as Ghan Shyam Pandit, said they were returning from Deoghar and were on their way to Chhatarghat in Kishanganj.
-
AAP women's wing files complaint against Priyank Kharge for ‘derogatory’ remark
The women's wing of the Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Karnataka State Women's Commission, seeking action against former minister and Congress MLA Priyank Kharge over his lewd remark that women seeking government jobs in the BJP-ruled state have to give sexual favours. "MLA Priyank Kharge has spoken out against women during an event in Kalaburagi on August 12," AAP's Bengaluru women's wing president, Kushala Swamy, told reporters here.
-
Declare Basti, eastern UP as drought-hit: BJP MP in letter to Yogi Adityanath
LUCKNOW: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Harish Dewedi has asked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to declare Basti and eastern UP as drought-hit, the second UP leader to make the demand in view of deficient rainfall in large parts of the state. According to the India meteorological department data, Uttar Pradesh has received 45% less rainfall this monsoon till August 16.
-
MP minister Tulsiram Silawat, kin escape unhurt after truck rams into his car
A truck rammed into the official car of Madhya Pradesh minister Tulsiram Silawat in Dewas district of the state when he was travelling to Bhopal with his family members, but all of them escaped unhurt, a police official said. The incident occurred around 10 pm on Tuesday on Dewas Bypass road, he said. Police officials reached the spot after the accident and the driver of the truck was detained.
