BJP prodded Khadse to put in his papers
New Delhi, 5 June 2016, DHNS
Maharashtra BJP strongman Eknath Khadse needed more than a gentle prod from the Central BJP leadership to force him to put in his papers.
Little realising that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already made up his mind on his exit and conveyed it to party chief Amit Shah, Khadse held on to his post till the last moment.
Finally, it was left to BJP general secretary Ramlal to convey in no-uncertain terms that he would have to go and await a probe by a retired judge.
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari too sought to convey to Khadse that his options were closed. But unfazed, Khadse maintained that he had not received any directive from the BJP central leadership on the charges against him, which he dubbed “baseless”. This was after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis handed them a formal report two days ago.
BJP sources said Khadse, who held the revenue minister’s post in the Maharashtra government, believed that the party would at best take only a "minimum action" — by snatching away his revenue portfolio. But the party’s top leaders thought otherwise.
Senior BJP leaders sought to reason with Khadse that his continuance would damage not only the image of the Fadnavis government, but also give fodder to the opposition to challenge the BJP's commitment to provide a corruption-free rule.
Many BJP leaders agreed that the gap left behind by Khadse’s exit would be difficult to fill. As the OBC face, Khadse was considered “number two” in the Cabinet. After late Gopinath Munde, who died in a mishap in 2014, Khadse was rated as second most important leader with a mass base in Maharashtra.
As leader of the opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, Khadse was the face of the BJP's stir against the previous Congress–NCP combine on several occasions.
Ironically, Fadnavis was junior to him in politics and used to sit in the back rows as an opposition MLA under Khadse’s leadership. But Modi preferred Fadnavis as chief minister after the state polls in October 2014, citing his clean image.
Nevertheless, central BJP leadership decided that Khadse should have his say when he resigned on Saturday. Khadse -A profile
Native: Muktainagar in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra
Sarpanch: of Kothali gram panchayat from 1984 - 1987
MLA: since 1989
Belongs to late Pramod Mahajan and late Gopinath Munde camp
Portfolios: Finance and later Irrigation in the 1995-99 Shiva Sena-BJP govt
Leader of Opposition in Assembly from 2009-2014
Was among the claimants for CM’s post after 2014 polls
Became no.2 holding 10 portfolios: Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Earthquake Rehabilitation, Minorities Development and Wakf, Agriculture and Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries and State Excise.
Daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse is an MP from Raver
Little realising that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already made up his mind on his exit and conveyed it to party chief Amit Shah, Khadse held on to his post till the last moment.
Finally, it was left to BJP general secretary Ramlal to convey in no-uncertain terms that he would have to go and await a probe by a retired judge.
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari too sought to convey to Khadse that his options were closed. But unfazed, Khadse maintained that he had not received any directive from the BJP central leadership on the charges against him, which he dubbed “baseless”. This was after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis handed them a formal report two days ago.
BJP sources said Khadse, who held the revenue minister’s post in the Maharashtra government, believed that the party would at best take only a "minimum action" — by snatching away his revenue portfolio. But the party’s top leaders thought otherwise.
Senior BJP leaders sought to reason with Khadse that his continuance would damage not only the image of the Fadnavis government, but also give fodder to the opposition to challenge the BJP's commitment to provide a corruption-free rule.
Many BJP leaders agreed that the gap left behind by Khadse’s exit would be difficult to fill. As the OBC face, Khadse was considered “number two” in the Cabinet. After late Gopinath Munde, who died in a mishap in 2014, Khadse was rated as second most important leader with a mass base in Maharashtra.
As leader of the opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, Khadse was the face of the BJP's stir against the previous Congress–NCP combine on several occasions.
Ironically, Fadnavis was junior to him in politics and used to sit in the back rows as an opposition MLA under Khadse’s leadership. But Modi preferred Fadnavis as chief minister after the state polls in October 2014, citing his clean image.
Nevertheless, central BJP leadership decided that Khadse should have his say when he resigned on Saturday. Khadse -A profile
Native: Muktainagar in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra
Sarpanch: of Kothali gram panchayat from 1984 - 1987
MLA: since 1989
Belongs to late Pramod Mahajan and late Gopinath Munde camp
Portfolios: Finance and later Irrigation in the 1995-99 Shiva Sena-BJP govt
Leader of Opposition in Assembly from 2009-2014
Was among the claimants for CM’s post after 2014 polls
Became no.2 holding 10 portfolios: Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Earthquake Rehabilitation, Minorities Development and Wakf, Agriculture and Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries and State Excise.
Daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse is an MP from Raver
No comments:
Post a Comment