‘Fadnavis, Mahajan made sure I didn’t get ticket for state polls’

Sulking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Eknath Khadse on Thursday held former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and former minister Girish Mahajan responsible

Sulking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Eknath Khadse on Thursday held former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and former minister Girish Mahajan responsible for him not getting a ticket to contest the state Assembly polls.

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Speaking to a local Marathi news channel, ABP Majha, from his hometown of Jalgaon in North Maharashtra, Khadse alleged Fadnavis and Mahajan conspired to sideline him and end his political career.

Khadse, a former leader of Opposition and minister in the Fadnavis-led cabinet in 2016, had to resign over allegations of corruption. While he has indicated that Fadnavis has worked against him, this is the first time he openly named the former CM.

The party gave a ticket to his daughter, Rohini, to contest the state polls, but she lost.

Khadse has alleged that some party workers, along with senior leaders, worked against her which led to her defeat. “This is a conspiracy to end my political career. I got information from Delhi that at the core committee meeting, Devendra Fadnavis and Girish Mahajan insisted that my candidature be dropped, even though several senior leaders had said that I should be given ticket. I got this information from core committee members on condition of anonymity. I have good relations with many of them,” said Khadse.

Khadse was in the news recently over reports that he was looking to quit the party.

He had met with both Sena chief and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.

Khadse said he was currently working with the BJP and had recently met the party’s working president JP Nadda, who agreed to address his concerns. “My main contention is that my daughter Rohini Khadse’s electoral defeat was orchestrated from within the party. I have given evidence against party workers and I have also told that they are linked to senior party leaders. I have been told that my complaint will be looked into. Mr Nadda will hold a meeting with state president Chandrakant Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar and Pankaja Munde [on the matter],” he added.

Reacting to Khadse’s outburst, Mungantiwar said he would intervene and speak to the state party president.

“Khadse is among one of our seniormost state leaders. Both Fadnavisji and I have worked under him. We will talk to him and resolve his grievances. At this stage, we need to focus on expanding the party. I don’t think Khadseji will ever leave the BJP,” said Mungantiwar.

He said Khadse instead may be seen in Parliament or even the state Assembly, indicating that the party leadership may offer him an olive branch.