Sidelined within party, BJP’s OBC face to embark on statewide Shiv Shakti Yatra

Pankaja, who has been fighting a tough political battle on her home turf Parli in Beed district and has been sidelined in state politics, has not been active at the state or national level during her break. Her planned yatra, which she announced on social media platform X, is religious-cum-political. Munde tweeted a video of herself performing a Shiva puja at home on the auspicious second Monday of Shravan and later announced the tour

Mumbai: BJP national secretary and joint in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Pankaja Munde is back from her two-month political break. The daughter of the late Gopinath Munde recently announced that she would embark on an 11-day, 500-kilometre Shiv Shakti Yatra from the first week of September and visit 11 Jyotirlinga and Shakti Peetha temples in over 10 districts of Maharashtra.

HT Image

Pankaja, who has been fighting a tough political battle on her home turf Parli in Beed district and has been sidelined in state politics, has not been active at the state or national level during her break. Her planned yatra, which she announced on social media platform X, is religious-cum-political. Munde tweeted a video of herself performing a Shiva puja at home on the auspicious second Monday of Shravan and later announced the tour.

“You have all been requesting me to come out and participate in social-political gatherings,” said Pankaja to her followers. “I have been active and visited Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, but was on a political break. I have been more into religious activities all these days and found solace in them. I have been feeling blessed and thought why not meet you all and take forward the religious spree? I will be visiting all the Jyotirlings and Shakti Peethas in the state. I will also visit other temples that are close to these religious places.”

Pankaja said she would soon announce her detailed tour along with her halts for tea, snacks and meals. “I will be available to meet you at those places. This is a tour to take darshan of Shiv, Shakti and all of you,” she said in the video.

Pankaja is expected to begin her tour from Grishneshwar temple in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), followed by Jyotirlingas in Nashik, Ahmednagar, Satara, Kolhapur, Pune and other districts.

The tour is seen as an attempt by the BJP leader and OBC face of the party to reiterate her position as a state leader. She has been sidelined by the state leadership, against which she has repeatedly been vocal. Even her announcement on taking a break from politics was met with surprising silence by the BJP. “She is following in her father’s footsteps by embarking on a state tour and galvanising her supporters and followers,” said a close BJP aide. “By dint of this, she could compel the state and central leadership of the party to take cognisance apart from widening her political space in the state.”