Rival BJP leaders Gadkari, Munde put up united front

For once, the factional lines within the BJP, Maharashtra, melted away as the party, after almost a decade, had reason to celebrate, reports HT Correspondent.

For once, the factional lines within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtra, melted away as the party, after almost a decade, had reason to celebrate.

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Thousands of party workers, irrespective of the camps they belonged to, crowded Mumbai’s streets on Saturday to welcome senior leaders-— National President Nitin Gadkari and Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde — who were recently elevated to new highs in the party organisation.

This was the duo’s first visit to the city after assuming new responsibilities.

The enthusiasm that the party cadre showed is something the BJP needs especially after losing the recent state Assembly polls.

The senior leaders exhorted the state unit to work harder and perform better next time.

“The party has given us responsibility to expand it and win the next general and Assembly elections,” Gadkari told party workers at the BJP’s Nariman Point headquarters. “And we will together work in achieving these goals in a way that everyone will remember us.” Gadkari and Munde, who are seen as two separate power centres in the state BJP, seem to have buried the hatchet and pledged to work together.

The party, as a balancing act, made Munde deputy to Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj after it placed Gadkari at the helm a week ago.

“Nitin [Gadkari] will strengthen the party all over and I will be with him all the time,” said Munde, adding that he would continue to unmask the Congress in the Lok Sabha.

Gadkari tried boosting the morale of party workers. “We were ridiculed when we had just two members of Parliament but your hard work and sacrifice saw us form the government [in the 1990s]. We still have better numbers in the Lok Sabha… We have the largest number of legislators in the country (all states put together).”

Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, Gadkari said he was happy to have the support of all senior leaders.

“I’m blessed. The other day I requested all seniors who were in New Delhi to help me resolve a serious issue. They did promptly and asked me not to hesitate in asking them for help in future,” Gadkari said.

An overwhelmed Gadkari praised the BJP’s democratic set-up that enabled a ‘small worker’ like him to become the party president.

“One doesn’t need to be a son or daughter of a prime minister to lead the party at the highest level,” he said.