BJP drops Kirit Somaiya, Shaina NC from Maharashtra executive panel; Pankaja Munde now special invitee

MUMBAI: In an indication of the central leadership’s unhappiness with Kirit Somaiya, he has been dropped as BJP state vice-president. The party also made clear its displeasure over Pankaja Munde’s style of functioning, who is now a special invitee. Along with Somaiya, the party state treasurer Shaina NC too has been dropped. Mulund MLA Mihir Kotecha will now be the party’s Gujarati face and treasurer. With Mumbai unit president Mangal Prabhat Lodha, the trading community continues to have a influential presence in the party, said observers.
BJP state president Chandrakant Patil announced his first executive committee on Friday, after taking charge in February. The appointees clearly show a tilt towards former CM Devendra Fadnavis as three of the five general secretaries are close to him, said observers, adding: “Fadnavis’s former officer on special duty Shrikant Bharatiya, MLA Devyani Farande, and minister Ravindra Chavan have been appointed as general secretaries. While Sujit Singh Thakur has been retained, MLA Atul Bhatkalkar has been dropped.”
Among vice-presidents, Jayprakash Rawal, Prasad Lad and Jayprakash Thakur are known Fadnavis supporters, they said. Vijay Puranik has been appointed to the all-important post of organisational general secretary.
“The party has made its displeasure clear over Pankaja’s style of functioning. But it has conveyed it is not inimical to the Mundes by appointing her sister Pritam Munde, an MP from Beed, as vice-president. BJP leader Eknath Khadse’s daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse is secretary,” said observers.
Addressing a press conference Patil said Pankaja Munde would soon be given a national role and she would be inducted in the state core committee.
Madhav Bhandari, the party’s chief spokesperson who has been repeatedly overlooked for the MLC post, too has been made vice-president as also former energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Keshav Upadhyay will now be the party chief spokesperson.
Sanjay Upadhyay who was the party’s north Indian face has been dropped as secretary as he is likely to be given a bigger role in the Mumbai unit. Sanjay Pandey has been appointed as president of the BJP’s north-Indian cell.
Former Mumbai unit presidents Prakash Mehta, Vinod Tawde, Ashish Shelar and Raj Purohit have been appointed as special invitees, along with other MLAs and MPs. Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Fadnavis are also on this list.