BJP inducts another royal family member as its Maratha face

State BJP chief Raosaheb Danve said the newly-inducted Samarjeet Ghatge will be provided with Minister of State (MoS) status

After the Devendra Fadnavis-led government gave economically-backward students free sops in the backdrop of silent protests by Maratha community, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) inducted Samarjeet Ghatge, son of late cooperative giant and two-time MLA Vikramsinh Ghatge on Saturday. Samarjeet , a Maratha leader, is the chairman of the Chhatrapati Shahu sugar factory in Kagal, Kolhapur.

The move is being seen as an attempt to pacify the Maratha community, which is currently protesting their lack of reservation. (HT File Photo)

State BJP chief Raosaheb Danve said the newly-inducted Samarjeet will be provided with Minister of State (MoS) status. He will soon be appointed as Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) chairman in Pune.

The move is being seen as an attempt to pacify the Maratha community, which is currently protesting their lack of reservation, the demand for which was stayed by the Bombay high court after being challenged two years ago.

Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, popular Maratha ruler of the erstwhile Kolhapur princely state, belonged to the Ghatge family.

The ruling party had nominated Sambhaji Raje, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj to the Rajya Sabha in June. Raje, a social activist, is one of the faces of the reservation campaign.

“With the induction of Samarjeet, the party will be strengthened further,” said Danve.