Tawde arrives but what’s in store for Pankaja?

Supporters of the BJP loyals have great hopes from this month’s Rajya Sabha contests in Maharashtra

Senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde had a lesson well-learned in the 2019 Assembly polls. Denied a party ticket, the then sitting MLA and minister kept his nerves and was able to bounce back in the political arena. The Maharashtra BJP is learnt to have recommended a Rajya Sabha candidature for Tawde from the state in the ensuing biennial election to be held later this month. But who better than Tawde knows the high command? He has worked under the party’s topmost leadership who entrusted him with important tasks such as one he accomplished recently in Bihar. Tawde has been an integral part of BJP’s national team of which very few members have got an opportunity to work in close association with PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. People in the BJP said Tawde may have arrived, but considering the unpredictability of decision-makers, he will not show an iota of disenchantment even if he is denied the nomination this time, too. For, he knows ‘sabr ka fal meetha hota hai’. Opportunities will be plenty in future, said a senior BJP leader. He may not contest the Lok Sabha elections because he will have an organisational responsibility of Bihar. And if he gets to contest the Assembly polls in Maharashtra, he will again be a hot contender for the CM’s position if the BJP-led alliance gets adequate numbers in the Vidhan Sabha. And if he gets a Rajya Sabha ticket, then, his victory is certain. The membership of the Upper House will also pave the way for his ministership in Modi Government 3.0.

Also, in the race to the Rajya Sabha is former minister Pankaja Munde, who had lost the last election from Parli to her estranged cousin Dhananjay Munde. Contrary to Tawde’s composed demeanour in recent years, Pankaja has been rebellious. The daughter of the late Gopinath Munde, one of the founding fathers of the BJP’s base in Maharashtra, she had her protesting best on display for being side-lined by the leadership. Her name was recommended for earlier ‘backdoor’ elections as well, but didn’t get the high command’s nod. But now, since BJP’s latest ally, the NCP (Ajit Pawar) is unlikely to concede Parli from where Dhananjay is an MLA, Pankaja’s rehabilitation has become necessary. However, there could be another twist if the OBC leader’s candidature does not go through. Her younger sister Dr Preetam, who is a sitting Lok Sabha MP from Beed, could be asked to sit out for the elder sibling in this summer’s general elections. Will the Munde sisters agree to a compromise and upset their OBC supporters even more? 

More surprises?

There’s more on the Rajya Sabha elections. It was two years ago that the BJP had upset the then MVA government by winning a seat more than expected. These polls marked the beginning of a revolt in the Shiv Sena, which split the same month after the biennial Legislative Council elections. Eknath Shinde had walked away with a host of MLAs and MPs to topple the Uddhav Thackeray government. A year after the Sena coup, the NCP broke into two factions, of which a major one led by Ajit Pawar joined the Shinde-BJP government. The Shinde and Ajit factions have been recognised as the original Shiv Sena and NCP, respectively. This time around, too, the BJP is said to be preparing for a surprise. At the centre of a BJP scare is the Congress, having the Vidhan Sabha numbers to win one seat from the six at stake. The Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar NCP can win one each. The Opposition is expected to field a person of socio-political eminence.

We hear that the head of the erstwhile Maratha royal family from Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, has been proposed as an Opposition candidate. BJP had sent his son Sambhaji Raje to the Upper House when the Maratha quota stir was at its peak eight years ago. It has to be seen whether the Congress accepts Shahu Maharaj, whose defeat at the hands of the BJP could leave the furious Marathas, now fighting a decisive battle for a quota, raging further. 

Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore
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