BJP to project OBC, Maratha faces in collective leadership plan for state polls

BJP central leadership aims for collective leadership in Maharashtra for assembly polls amid unrest among Marathas and OBCs, appointing seconds-in-command for each region.

MUMBAI: In a bid to pacify the unrest among Marathas and OBCs, the BJP’s central leadership is pushing for collective leadership in Maharashtra for the assembly polls. The decision comes against the backdrop of the Lok Sabha debacle and Devendra Fadnavis’ request to the leadership to divest him of the responsibility of his deputy chief ministership.

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During Tuesday’s meeting of the BJP core committee, comprising key party leaders from the state unit, union home minister Amit Shah expressed his displeasure at the party’s performance in Maharashtra. Although the central leadership has asked Fadnavis to continue in the state government as deputy CM, it has decided to appoint seconds-in-command for each region. The party will appoint OBC and Maratha leaders in regions where the communities are in large numbers in order to pacify them.

“The party’s losses in the Lok Sabha polls in Marathwada were due to the anger of Marathas towards the party,” said a senior BJP leader. “The OBCs too were unhappy with the government for accepting the Marathas’ demand that they be included in the OBC quota, and this impacted the party’s prospects in Vidarbha. Maratha and OBC faces like Vinod Tawde, Ashish Shelar, Pankaja Munde and Chandrashekhar Bawankule will help us pacify the communities at the local level. We are hoping this move works in the assembly polls.”

The leader said that Devendra Fadnavis’ request had been rejected by the central leadership and he had been asked to continue in his post. “But at the same time, his powers will be delegated to others and a collective responsibility will be fixed for the assembly polls,” he said, adding that the step had been taken after a section of BJP leaders complained of being sidelined.

Another leader said that the step was taken after complaints of lack of coordination within the party’s state unit. “There was a widespread feeling among the party’s long-time loyalist leaders that they were being given secondary status to those who had recently joined the BJP from other parties,” he said. “The leadership has taken this seriously, and the move is aimed at addressing this discontent.”

BJP’s regional chiefs

The BJP leadership is expected to appoint Pankaja Munde and Raosaheb Danve as the leaders in charge of Marathwada while the responsibility of Vidarbha is expected to be given to state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Sudhir Mungantiwar. Ashish Shelar and Vinod Tawde are likely to be appointed for Mumbai and MMR while former union minister Narayan Rane may be the incharge for Konkan. State minister Girish Mahajan, along with Eknath Khadse, may be given the responsibility of North Maharashtra after Khadse is inducted into the BJP fold. Former state unit chief Chandrakant Patil and Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil are likely to be put in charge of western Maharashtra.