Gadkari to play key role in Maharashtra BJP`s strategy

Nitin Gadkari may not be the BJP chief anymore but his role in the party remains crucial. He will continue to play a key role at the Centre and Maharashtra. He is expected to devote more time to increase BJP's tally in the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections slated for 2014. Besides, Gadkari, whose term as the member of Maharashtra Legislative Council ends on February 19, 2014, will take a call on contesting the parliamentary poll from his home town and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters, Nagpur.

Furthermore, he will also be instrumental in roping in the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the Shiv Sena-BJP-Republican Party of India alliance. This aims at the formation of a grand alliance to take on the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance. The Congress-NCP alliance is in power in Maharashtra since 1999.

Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Eknath Khadse and his counterpart in the Upper House Vinod Tawde admit Gadkari's resignation was a big disappointment for party cadre. However, the duo say Gadkari's exit would not have an adverse impact on the party, especially in Maharashtra. Gadkari would continue to play an active role in charting BJP's growth strategy ahead of 2014 elections, they add.

However, a section of RSS and BJP leaders claim Gadkari needs to come clean from the ongoing investigations launched by the Income Tax Department against his Purti Group of Industries and from court cases against him. Though Gadkari has resigned as director long ago, he cannot simply escape from the probe.

Tawade told Business Standard: "Gadkari will concentrate on party's consolidation in Maharashtra, especially in the Vidarbha region, where the party had won 19 of the total 62 Assembly seats and two of the total 10 parliamentary seats in 2009 elections. He will also contest the Lok Sabha poll from Nagpur."

Kadse says Gadkari will have a say in the appointment of new president of the Maharashtra unit. The tenure of present chief Sudhir Mungantiwar, who hails from the Vidarbha region, is over.

A section of state BJP also believes Gadkari's frequent intervention in state politics will be a bad news for his rival and other backward castes leader Gopinath Munde, BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha. Munde, who does not enjoy cordial relationship with Gadkari, may face several roadblocks while heading party's campaign in Maharashtra.

A Mumbai city unit leader, who did not want to be named, believes Gadkari and Rajnath Singh will play important role in the selection of candidates and appointment of party office bearers in Maharashtra. He recalls: "During his previous tenure as the party president, Rajnath Singh and Gadkari worked together to exclude Munde's nominees from party's list for the last Assembly elections. Moreover, it was Rajnath Singh, who was instrumental in the appointment of party loyalist and former legislator Madhu Chavan as Mumbai unit chief in 2008. This triggered Munde to stage a rebellion which subsequently resulted in Chavan’s removal."