BJP tries to mollify Munde, to address his woes on June 18

The BJP will hold a meeting on June 18 in Mumbai to placate brooding strongman Gopinath Munde whose frequent meetings with non-BJP leaders has set alarm bells ringing within the party.

The BJP will hold a meeting on June 18 in Mumbai to placate brooding strongman Gopinath Munde whose frequent meetings with non-BJP leaders has set alarm bells ringing within the party.

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Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who was on a two-day visit to New Delhi to apprise the party over the Munde crisis, said the party would meet again on June 18 to address Munde’s grievances. Munde will also be invited for the meeting, though sources close to Munde claimed that there was no communication from the party.

Munde has chosen to stay away from senior BJP leaders and has been on a meeting spree with non-BJP leaders. On Wednesday, he met Nationalist Congress Party state president Madhukar Picchad at his house in Worli. “I met him to ask about his well-being. He is facing problems and I wanted to check on him,” Picchad said.

Munde maintained a studied silence on his meetings with non-BJP parties. Throughout the day, Munde was thronged by BJP office-bearers and leaders like Pasha Patel, Pandurang Phundkar along with party MLAs.

Khadse who in his two day visit met leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari and LK Advani has been given the ambit to try pacify the senior OBC leader who is increasingly feeling stifled within the party after the ascension of Nitin Gadkari to the party president's post.