Munde plays the OBC card, visits Bhujbal amidst Maratha protests

MUMBAI: As the state’s women and children development minister Pankaja Munde called on an unwell and imprisoned Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal

MUMBAI: As the state’s women and children development minister Pankaja Munde called on an unwell and imprisoned Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal at JJ Hospital, tongues began wagging in political circles about a possible coming together of Other Backward Classes (OBC) leaders in the state.

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While Munde belongs to the Vanjari community, Bhujbal hails from the Mali community — both come under OBC. Pankaja’s visit, termed by her office as a ‘courtesy call since both families share close relations’, comes in the backdrop of ongoing Maratha silent protests that have rattled the BJP government and the OBC community. Bhujbal is under arrest over the Maharashtra Sadan scam, but was admitted to hospital recently after he complained of fever.

Six years ago, Pankaja’s father, the late Gopinath Munde and Bhujbal, both feeling sidelined by their parties, had united on various occasions to consolidate the position of OBCs in the state. Munde had even offered to work under Bhujbal, his political rival, if he took on the mantle of a national OBC leader. The occasion then was the apex court ruling that had backed reservations for OBCs in local self-government bodies. Cut to the present, political observers said the reasons for Pankaja tracing her father’s steps may be similar.

“Pankaja has been sidelined in her party and the government by the [Devendra] Fadnavis camp. After the Eknath Khadse episode, OBC leaders in the government are hurt. The Munde-Bhujbal meeting seems to be a systematic attempt to vent voice to the unrest,” said political analyst Hemant Desai.

The visit may also help the government offset some steam from the ongoing agitations by the Marathas. But more importantly, it is a bid by Pankaja to play the OBC card and bolster her position in the party and within the community.

Another political observer Vishwambhar Chaudhari said the meeting may be an attempt of ‘political balancing’ in the wake of Maratha rallies.

The BJP, however, refuted any political motive behind this visit.

“Gopinath Munde shared a strong bond with Bhujbal and it is obvious for Pankaja to pay visit when the NCP leader is unwell. There is nothing political in this meeting and it should not be linked to Maratha rallies or claims that Pankaja was being sidelined,’’ said BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari.

Meanwhile, the NCP said it was time for the government to rectify its mistake when it put Bhujbal in jail. “Munde must have realised the injustice done to Bhujbal. She should now convince the CM and help the OBC leaders about getting Bhujbal out on bail,” said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik.

Bhujbal has been in jail for more than five months for alleged irregularities in the construction of the Maharashtra Sadan and money laundering that is being probed by the anti-corruption bureau and the Enforcement Directorate.

Meanwhile, former revenue minister and another OBC face of the BJP, Eknath Khadse, cancelled his visit to Bhujbal at JJ Hospital, reportedly to avoid media glare. He was supposed to meet Bhujbal at around 8pm before boarding a train to Jalgaon from CST.

Khadse, however, said he did not plan to call on Bhujbal, but just called up Pankaj to enquire about his father’s health.