Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a public rally in Jalgaon on Friday. (Express)On the last day of the two-day ‘Mahajanadesh Yatra’ in north Maharashtra Friday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sent a clear message to the party cadre and asked them to consolidate its electoral prospects in the region through his five years good governance.
Strongly underlining the importance of north Maharashtra for the BJP in 2019 Assembly polls for achieving the 100-per cent target of winning 288 seats, Fadnavis evoked the “asmita of khandesh” (pride of north Maharashtra). Calling it a ‘bhoomi’ or land of the revered saint, social reformer and poet Bahinabai, he said: “Khandesh has always had a special bond with the BJP. The region has stood with BJP as it has a brigade of dedicated cadre whose relentless and selfless work helped in electoral growth of organisation.”
After its success in recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has set the electoral target in the region high – BJP won four and ally Sena bagged two of the six seats on north Maharashtra in the election. In 2014 Assembly elections, the BJP had won 19 and the Shiv Sena eight of the total 47 Assembly seats in north Maharashtra. The opposition Congress wrested 10 seats and the NCP eight, while CPI(M) and Independents won one seat each.
According to sources, the biggest challenge facing the BJP in North Maharashtra was internal bickering and power tussle at the local level. Senior leader Eknath Khadse, who is facing charges in Bhosari land scam, was replaced with Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan Girish Mahajan, an OBC leader, in the region.
While it was Mahajan who had accompanied Fadnavis on the ‘rath’ (chariot) throughout the yatra in north Maharashtra, between Dhule and Jalgaon, on Friday, Khadse, who has been sulking ever since he was dropped as the revenue minister, shared the dais with Fadnavis at the Jalgaon rally. During his speech, Fadnavis also mentioned him as a “senior party leader”.
Meanwhile, reckoning Mahajan’s recent role in relief and rescue operations during floods in Kolhapur and Sangli, Fadnavis called the Water Resource Minister a “sankatmochan” at the rally.
Reiterating the commitment of his government to alleviate and empower the poorest of poor, Fadnavis, during the yatra, mentioned the Rs 6,400-crore Tapi Mega Recharge Irrigation project, work on which has been initiated with the help of Centre.
Earlier in the day, Maratha Kranti Organisation felicitated Fadnavis for granting reservation to the Maratha community. The Dhangar community also expressed it’s gratitude for sanctioning Rs 1,000 crore welfare schemes. A few Muslim women also expressed their gratitude to the BJP for abolishing triple talaq.
