Meeting with Fadnavis sparks talk of BJP opening doors for Khadse

Pune/Nashik: From blaming chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for stymying his return to the BJP to a closed-door meeting with him in Mumbai on Tuesday, veteran politician Eknath Khadse has once again sparked speculation about his comeback.
Khadse has not met or spoken to Fadnavis for several years. He maintained that his meeting with the chief minister was about work in his assembly constituency of Muktainagar in Jalgaon district.
He told TOI, "An engineering college is being started for the minority community in my constituency. I urged the CM to inaugurate it. Besides, there were issues about the cooperative textile mill and a temple too. I handed over letters to him about various other works."
Once the senior-most member of the BJP in Maharashtra, Khadse blamed Fadnavis for his exit and joined Sharad Pawar's NCP. In the MVA, he took on Fadnavis and other senior members of BJP, including Girish Mahajan.
"When Khadse was in the BJP, he was upset with Fadnavis for initiating an inquiry against him in the Bhosari MIDC land deal case. He blamed Fadnavis for making him resign as minister, and he quit the party. Some other BJP seniors, who are close to Fadnavis, too were against Khadse," a senior BJP member said.
Four years after his decision to part ways, Khadse met the BJP's central leadership, including national president JP Nadda, just before the Lok Sabha polls last year. He then quit the NCP (SP) and announced that he would be joining the BJP.
According to some in the BJP, Fadnavis and other members did not favour Khadse's return and hence he was not taken back. However, political observers said, Tuesday's meeting indicates that dialogue between the two has been re-established.
quote
There was a time when Fadnavis and Khadse did not have any communication. But this meeting shows that both have softened their stands. Though there is a long way to go, the meeting will certainly raise Khadse's hope
A political observer
Pune/Nashik: From blaming chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for stymying his return to the BJP to a closed-door meeting with him in Mumbai on Tuesday, veteran politician Eknath Khadse has once again sparked speculation about his comeback.
Khadse has not met or spoken to Fadnavis for several years. He maintained that his meeting with the chief minister was about work in his assembly constituency of Muktainagar in Jalgaon district.
He told TOI, "An engineering college is being started for the minority community in my constituency. I urged the CM to inaugurate it. Besides, there were issues about the cooperative textile mill and a temple too. I handed over letters to him about various other works."
Once the senior-most member of the BJP in Maharashtra, Khadse blamed Fadnavis for his exit and joined Sharad Pawar's NCP. In the MVA, he took on Fadnavis and other senior members of BJP, including Girish Mahajan.
"When Khadse was in the BJP, he was upset with Fadnavis for initiating an inquiry against him in the Bhosari MIDC land deal case. He blamed Fadnavis for making him resign as minister, and he quit the party. Some other BJP seniors, who are close to Fadnavis, too were against Khadse," a senior BJP member said.
Four years after his decision to part ways, Khadse met the BJP's central leadership, including national president JP Nadda, just before the Lok Sabha polls last year. He then quit the NCP (SP) and announced that he would be joining the BJP.
According to some in the BJP, Fadnavis and other members did not favour Khadse's return and hence he was not taken back. However, political observers said, Tuesday's meeting indicates that dialogue between the two has been re-established.
quote
There was a time when Fadnavis and Khadse did not have any communication. But this meeting shows that both have softened their stands. Though there is a long way to go, the meeting will certainly raise Khadse's hope
A political observer