Disgruntled Khadse quits BJP, to join NCP

Blames former Maha CM Fadnavis over ‘false police cases’; likely to get portfolio in the MVA govt, BJP state chief calls his move ‘unfortunate’

I spent four years in mental tension. I repeatedly said in my speeches that you are forcing me out of the party I feel sad about quitting the BJP but I had no choice. EKNATH KHADSE, former BJP leader

MUMBAI: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) leader Eknath Khadse quit the party on Wednesday to join Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party ( NCP), part of the ruling coalition government of Maharashtra, blaming former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for forcing him to quit by having the police foist false cases against him.

State NCP chief Jayant Patil said Khadse would be joining the party formally on Friday. NCP may offer him a ministerial position in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government led by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray that also comprises the Congress.

Khadse’s daughter- in- law Raksha Khadse, who is the BJP member of parliament from Raver in Jalgaon, will stay in the BJP.. The 68- year old Khadse has been a prominent leader of the Maharashtra BJP and belongs to Jalgaon in north Maharashtra.

“I am resigning from the primary membership of the party due to personal reasons,” Khadse said in his resignation letter, sent to state BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Wednesday.

“I have no grievances against any other leader from national or state leadership. I am upset with Fadnavis, who made police to take false cases against me. One of such cases of outraging the modesty of woman was registered against me on the orders from Fadnavis who was the CM and home minister. Similarly, corruption cases in Bhosri ( Pune) land deal was lodged though nothing came out of it. I urged my party leadership and Fadnavis on various platforms to give me reasons for the punishment to me, but I never got the reply,” he wrote.

Khadse said that he even tried to raise the issue with the central leadership of the BJP but to no avail.

“...I spent four years in mental tension. I repeatedly said in my speeches that you are forcing me out of the party. I feel sad about quitting the BJP but I had no choice,” Khadse said after making his switch to the NCP official.

State BJP president Chandrakant Patil said Khadse’s decision was unfortunate and defended Fadnavis.

“Devendraji has already clarified about the action taken by his government in each of the cases against Khadse. What Khadse has been claiming now is his version of it and should not be taken at its face value,” he said.

Khadse was revenue minister in the Fadnavis government but was forced to resign in June 2016 after he faced allegations of corruption in a case involving purchase of land by his family members in Pune.

He was denied a party ticket in 2019 assembly elections.

Patil said he had been aware of Khadse’s decision to quit the BJP.

“Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who has played a significant role in the growth of BJP in Maharashtra in the last around four decades, has decided to leave the party. He had informed me about his decision sometimes back. This has paved the way for his induction in the NCP. Khadse will formally join the party on Friday afternoon,” Patil said.

People in the NCP aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity said the party’s top brass was considering a proposal to induct him as a minister and give him the agriculture portfolio in the Maharashtra cabinet. According to a proposal under consideration, state housing minister Jitendra Awhad could be asked to resign and appointed state NCP chief.

The NCP will have to exchange his portfolio with the Shiv Sena, which oversees agriculture. All this will be possible only if the Sena agrees to swap portfolios, said a senior NCP leader.

“NCP leadership believes that Khadse comes from rural Maharashtra and would prove very useful if given a portfolio related to the same,” said the leader, requesting anonymity.

Patil said there had been no discussion on inducting Khadse in the ministerial council. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray praised Khadse and asked the BJP to introspect why prominent Maharashtra leaders of the party were leaving the party.

“Eknath Khadse is coming into the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi family and we welcome him. Khadse ji has a unique identity; he is a warrior and a straight- forward leader. Khadse ji was one of the leaders with Gopinath ji [ Munde], Pramod ji [ Mahajan] who planted roots of BJP in Maharashtra. When a person like him, who formed the base of the party, leaves the party, then the BJP should introspect and ask [ themselves] while climbing the peaks of success, why the foundation stones are coming off.”

Political analyst Prakash Bal said Khadse joining NCP will help the party in north Maharashtra, but only to some extent. “I have a doubt whether Khadse’s clout has remained as it used to be in the past few years. We will have to wait and watch how beneficial he is going to be for the NCP,” Bal said.