Dissent within BJP for giving power to new entrants over seniors

Mumbai: The voices of dissent raised during the recent state executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Nashik have opened a debate in the party over giving positions in power to the new entrants

Mumbai: The voices of dissent raised during the recent state executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Nashik have opened a debate in the party over giving positions in power to the new entrants. Party’s state leadership has taken it seriously and attempts are likely to be made to pacify the disgruntled senior leaders.

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Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar raised his voice over not inducting him into the state cabinet. “During the Fadnavis government, I was inducted as a minister just for the last three months. I thought I would get a chance to sit in the first row during the swearing-in of the new (Shinde-Fadnavis) government. I was instead asked by the party leadership to lead the Mumbai unit of the party. This is what we get after working hard for the party,” he said in his speech after seconding a political resolution moved in the two-day meeting.

Shelar also expressed his dismay at not getting an opportunity to move the political resolution. “Yes, he said it but it was in the lighter note and that too in a session which was meant strictly for the party officer bearer,” said a close aide of Shelar.

In the same convention, Pritam Munde, party’s Beed MP and younger daughter of former deputy chief minister late Gopinath Munde, sarcastically said that it was the time for reservation for party loyalists in organisation and power. She said, “We have an OBC reservation, talk about the Dhangar (shepherd) and Maratha reservation in the state. There need to be similar reservations for the party’s leaders. We speak about the double-engine government (the Shinde-Fadnavis government), but one should also realise that the boogies are equally important to the double-engine train.”

Pritam and her elder sister and former minister Pankaja are upset with the state leadership of the party for side-lining them. Pankaja had time and again expressed her dissatisfaction over it. Now Pritam too has made her dissent known publicly.

Shelar is reportedly not happy with more power given to other leaders in Mumbai. “State unit of the party has its mechanism for the BMC polls, Mumbai’s guardian minister Mangalprabhat Lodha has been given the responsibility of a few wards, Atul Bhakhalkar is election in-charge, there are too many power centres in the city unit. Shelar has expressed his dismay over it too,” said a party insider.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who concluded the meeting, however, appealed to the party leaders and workers to work selflessly. He said that the prime motto of the BJP workers should be the victory of the party in the forthcoming election without eyeing any post or position in the power.

Shrikant Bharatiya, state general secretary who has been recently appointed election in-charge for the 2024 election said, “It is a natural, emotional reaction from the leaders or workers and there is nothing wrong in it. These are the reactions for the time being and it does not affect the party prospects.”

According to BJP leaders, the leadership will take note of the grievances and attempts will be done to ebb them.