BJP was considering Wanga’s relative for bypolls… Thackeray knew: Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (File Photo) 

DAYS AFTER the wife and sons of late BJP MP from Palghar, Chintaman Wanga, joined the Shiv Sena, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the ruling party was seriously considering to field one of Wanga’s family members for the May 28 Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll. Alleging that the decision was also conveyed to Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who accepted the same, the sudden development of the Wanga family joining Sena had come as a big surprise to BJP, the CM said.

Wanga’s wife Jayashree Chintaman Wanga and two sons — Srinivas and Prafulla — had joined Sena on Thursday, alleging injustice by the BJP. The Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll has been necessitated following the sudden demise of Wanga in January. “When I had conveyed to Uddhav Thackeray our decision to field a Wanga family member for the bypoll, he had given his consent. He had also conveyed that Sena would not field any candidate,” Fadnavis said.

He added: “Chintaman Wanga played an important role in building the party in the tribal belt of Palghar. The entire family is part of the BJP parivar.” While exuding hope that Wanga’s immense service to the party organisation and tribal belt will not go unaddressed, the CM said: “We still feel the family is a part of BJP and would take the right decision.”

On Thusday, Jayashree had said: “Chintaman Wanga had given 35 years to the party to increase its base in the tribal belt. The BJP leadership has abandoned us. We had sought an appointment with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP state president Raosaheb Danve but they didn’t give us time. It is an injustice to us.” Dismissing the charge, Fadnavis said: “Most of our leaders, including myself, had been to their house and were communicating with them. When Wanga’s son sent me a SMS expressing his wish to meet me, I said yes within five minutes. I had conveyed the same to my office.”

However, the very next day, BJP came to know that the family had joined Sena, he added. Thackeray, after welcoming the Wanga family into the party fold, had said the party is yet to take a call on whether to contest the Palghar bypoll.