Changing political scenario may hit ex-ministers of BJP

Aurangabad: Changing political equations in Maharashtra may have delivered a blow to Pankaja Munde, Babanrao Lonikar, Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar and Atul Save. These four BJP leaders from Marathwada were ministers in the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led government and had hoped to continue in their ministerial positions.

On Sunday evening, BJP decided against staking claim to government formation. There are speculations about a major political shift in the state and the possibility of NCP and Shiv Sena teaming up and seeking outside support from the Congress.

While the mood was sombre in the BJP camp, some prominent names in the region’s Congress-NCP camp may have reasons to cheer.

Congress leader Ashok Chavan and NCP leaders Rajesh Tope and Prakash Solanke — who were written off after the Lok Sabha elections — along with NCP’s Dhananjay Munde and Amit Deshmukh of Congress are the key leaders from Marathwada who can expect a boost to their political careers.

Despite her loss in the assembly polls from Parli, Pankaja Munde, an OBC face from Marathwada and a member of party’s core-committee, was one of the front-runners for a cabinet seat.

Lonikar, who was a cabinet minister in the previous government, was re-elected from Partur. The BJP leader was one of the prominent faces from Marathwada who spearheaded the attack on the alleged corruption during Congress-NCP regime and was later rewarded with a cabinet berth.

Nilangekar was inducted as a minister during cabinet expansion in July, 2016. The relatively young leader was groomed by the BJP leadership to contain the influence of the Deshmukh family.

Save, who was the minister of state for industries, got place in the state cabinet on the face of LS polls. He too was hoping for a longer stint.

Maratha leader from Beed and MLC Vinayak Mete, whose party Shiv Sangram was one of BJP’s alliance partners, had made it to the state cabinet during the previous saffron regimes. His hopes of getting a ministerial berth again may also get dashed.

Dhananjay Munde, who won the electoral battle against his estranged cousin Pankaja in Parli, may get a prominent position if NCP joins hands with Sena. NCP loyalist Tope, who was the higher education minister during the UPA rule, and party MLA from Majalgaon Prakash Solanke, a former minister of state who lost the polls in 2014, may also have a shot.

If Congress extends outside support, Chavan and former Hingoli MP Rajiv Satav may get an unexpected boost — being close to the top-brass of the party and thereby having say in decision-making.