Legislative Council polls: Amit Shah’s tough poser to Maharashtra BJP over poor outing

MUMBAI: The central BJP leadership has sought a detailed report from the Maharashtra unit for its dismal show in recent the Graduate and Teacher State Legislative Council elections. Out of the six state legislative council seats, BJP bagged only one; Maha Vikas Aghadi secured four and one went to an independent candidate.

According to sources, senior BJP leader Ashish Shelar was asked to submit the report on party’s poor outing in Nagpur and Amarawati, while former minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule was asked to submit report on Marathawada. BJP MLA Ravindra Chavan has been tasked with submitting a report on Pune region.

Highly-placed source in BJP said, “The central BJP leadership, particularly Amit Shah, expressed displeasure over the performance of the Maharashtra BJP in Graduate and Teacher Legislative Council election and sought a detailed feedback report.” A miffed Shah is learnt to have asked the Maharashtra unit that at a time the party was faring well across India, why has it started lagging in Maharashtra.

“Shah was not happy with the Maharashtra unit’s performance. He hinted that if there is no improvement, then major restructuring may happen,” said a source. The BJP lost the Nagpur seat to Congress after a long gap of 58 years, while its Pune seat fell into the kitty of NCP. Nagpur seat was once represented by central minister Nitin Gadkari, and Gangadhar Fadnavis, father of former CM Devendra Fadnavis. Pune seat was represented by BJP state president Chandrakant Patil and central minister Prakash Javdekar.