Friction in BJP has been intermittent, but the feud this legislative session is more than evident
Drama, suspense, action and emotion. The state BJP has turned out to be an entertainer in the ongoing budget session. Politics within and remarkable reflections of strained relations between senior leaders were seen at work, more than the Opposition, which attempted a series of attacks on the government.
The BJP has some leaders distraught because of unfulfilled ambitions. Some haven't returned to the Cabinet after being asked to quit. Many rue that they didn't get lucrative departments. A CM aspirant is unsettled as she feels that Fadnavis never misses a chance to cut her to size. Another CM aspirant is angry because he sees a conspiracy to defame him.
The Khadse canon
As usual, former revenue minister Eknath Khadse led the charge. But this time, he was sharper and menacing. He alleged a rat control scam so effectively that it made headlines. Khadse's presentation reminded of his stint in the Opposition, when he had made all sorts of allegations, produced papers and compact discs as proofs.
In this session, this was his second attack on the government. Earlier, he had slammed poor healthcare and challenged the government to shut hospitals if they couldn't be given basic infrastructure.
Outside the House, when former MNS legislator and now BJP MLA-spokesperson Ram Kadam, who said how Khadse had been wrong in interpreting an RTI document that was part of the allegations, the veteran told Kadam to behave. "I don't speak without proof. And remember that I'm still in BJP," Khadse said.
Khadse hit all his targets — the CM, PWD minister Chandrakant Patil (who has taken over Khadse's number 2 position in the Cabinet), and his local competitor and medical education minister Girish Mahajan. Traction Khadse received did more harm to the BJP government than the Opposition's collective efforts.
Losing favour
While Khadse has been explosive, other dissidents are covert and sulking. Chandrakant Patil appears to be the latest to have developed differences with the CM over an unsavoury incident in the Upper House, after which Patil had accused party rivals of instigating teachers' MLC Kapil Patil to chide him in the House. The MLC alleged that the minister pounced on him and threatened him of dire consequences. Several BJP and other party MLCs were seen discussing how the minister had blamed the incident on a conspiracy hatched by his own party leaders.
Chadrakant Patil, whose claim to fame has been his good rapport with party president Amit Shah, was left red-faced when Khadse's allegations hit his PWD. Also, Patil is fast losing his role as a troubleshooter to CM's blue-eyed boy Girish Mahajan, who negotiated successfully with leaders of farmers' long march and is now a bridge between the government and social activist Anna Hazare, who is fasting in protest in New Delhi.
A cold war within
Meanwhile, Women and Child Welfare minister Pankaja Munde is fuming because Fadnavis overruled her decision to enforce MESMA to control Anganwadi workers' agitation.
She took to social media to vent, saying she was missing her father, late Gopinath Munde. While she said her post had been put up much before the CM revoked MESMA, sources said the decision was finalised a day before.
Two years ago, she had protested when she was divested of a portfolio. The cold war hasn't ceased since then.
Sources said the government could have saved further embarrassment in the SC and in the legislature if HC's decision of allowing city teachers to have salary accounts in banks other than Mumbai Bank was accepted. However, the school education department went to the SC despite a negative opinion. Kapil Patil had been telling media that the CMO did not want to challenge the HC order.
In any party, what happens between the sparring heads leads to similar differences between their respective followers. This phenomenon is more prominent in a ruling party. Under attack from the Opposition in the last two years, state BJP hasn't made any effective efforts to counter the Congress and NCP, or even the Shiv Sena. Insiders say state BJP will have to shift gears, shed lethargy and get going before it's too late. It seems the top leadership has realised the need and is all set to celebrate its biggest foundation day on April 6 in Mumbai, expected to be attended by 3 lakh workers across Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, the state unit has been given a long-time RSS pracharak, Vinay Puranik, as general secretary (organisation), the post that was vacant since 2015. With a vast experience in the western region, he is expected to work against many odds.
Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajore Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
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