Updated: October 23, 2020 12:26:21 pm
Eknath Khadse arrives in Mumbai on October 22, 2020 (Express Photo: Ganesh Shirsekar)
Maharashtra politician veteran Eknath Khadse will join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar at 2pm on Friday (October 23). For the BJP, Depart from Khadse It was expected, given his repeated outbursts against the party’s state leadership in recent months. But what does the NCP gain by embracing a lifelong Jana Sangh-BJP man who has represented the BJP in the Assembly six times since 1989 and was one of the architects of the party’s rise to power in Maharashtra?
A road to the north of Maharashtra
Northern Maharashtra comprises the Jalgaon, Dhule and Nandurbar districts in the northwestern corner of Maharashtra, which borders Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. For the past four decades, Khadse’s political career has focused primarily on the northern Maharashtra region, although his appeal traveled further. It can potentially provide the NCP with an opportunity to expand its presence in northern Maharashtra.
The PNC has struggled to make an impact in this region so far. None of the four MPs on the NCP from Maharashtra (the party has a MP from Lakshadweep) is from this region. Khadse’s stronghold, Jalgaon district, has 11 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, but only one (Amalner) is with the NCP (which has a total of 54 members in the Assembly). The NCP does not control the civic bodies, Zilla Parishads, milk federations or market committees in these districts.
The BJP, Shiv Sena, and Congress have a good presence in these three districts. In fact, the BJP governs the municipal corporation in Jalgaon, where Khadse comes from.
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khadse with his wife in Mumbai. (Express photo: Ganesh Shirsekar)
The bases connect in the region
Khadse had the option of joining the Seine or Congress, and had also met with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. However, the Khadse family leaned towards the NCP because, as Khadse put it, “the NCP does not have strong leadership in northern Maharashtra.”
The PNC’s presence outside western Maharashtra is limited and heavily reliant on Sharad Pawar’s charisma in other parts of the state. Pawar has often lamented the party’s failure to grow in other parts of the state.
Khadse comes from the Leva Patil community, which has a considerable presence in these three districts. Over the decades, Khadse has built excellent grassroots connections in the region, from which the PNC could benefit.
Senior NCP Leader Ankush Kakade has said that not only several BJP workers, but even two senior BJP leaders who are close to Khadse, are in contact with the NCP. Khadse himself has said: “At least 14-15 former members of the ALM are in contact with me. And several current MLAs want to cross, but are being held due to the anti-desertion law. “
Political observers in Jalgaon believe that with Khadse joining the CPN, the three components of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi could become a formidable force in northern Maharashtra and put pressure on the BJP. 📣 Follow Express explained on Telegram
Ammunition against the BJP
Khadse is an excellent speaker who can keep his audience engaged on almost any occasion. He does not mince words, he is known for his fierce speeches inside and outside the Assembly. He is expected to aggressively take on the likes of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, whom he has accused of “destroying his life”, and blamed entirely for his departure from the BJP.
Khadse is also expected to be a contrast to Narayan Rane, Rajya Sabha’s deputy and another former top minister, whom the BJP removed from Congress especially to take on Shiv Sena. Unlike Rane, who was with Shiv Sena until 2005 before going to Congress and is known for making erratic comments, Khadse is almost always taken seriously.
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A variety in NCP leadership
The other problem with the NCP is that it is a party dominated by Maratha leaders. It does not have a wide variety of leadership.
Khadse is a prominent OBC leader. While the Marathas represent 32% of the state’s population, the CBOs are 19%. With the party’s other OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal facing corruption cases, Khadse is expected to be the prominent face of the NCP OBC.
The NCP has apparently promised a ministerial position to Khadse. NCP head of state Jayant Patil has said that Khadse will get the position he deserves on the NCP. Khadse was a minister from 1995 to 1999 in the BJP-Shiv Sena government, and in 2015, he was assigned the position of 10 portfolios after the central leadership of the BJP elected Devendra Fadnavis instead of him to the position of Chief Minister. .
Khadse’s daughter, Rohini Khadse, who lost the 2019 Assembly elections for her father’s seat in Muktainagar in Jalgaon district, also joined the NCP. Rohini is the president of the Central Cooperative Bank of the Jalgaon District and is likely to obtain an important position in the PNC.
Khadse’s wife, Mandakini, who is president of the Mahananda milk cooperative, has also joined the NCP. However, his daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse, Raver’s BJP MP, is unlikely to do the same.
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