Faced with a piquant situation, senior Nationalist Congress Party leader in the state, Eknath Khadse, on Monday demanded that BJP should announce his 'secret' entry to the saffron party, failing which he would review his political status.
Khadses veiled warning had come on his 72nd birthday. as he revealed that he was, 'admitted' into the BJP and welcome by its President J.P Nadda, General Secretary Vinod Tawde and his daughter-in-law Raksha N. Khadse, a three-time MP from Raver who is a Minister of State at the Centre.
But the birthday boy too said the matter was kept under wraps under pressure from some quarters of the party against his induction into the union council of ministers and that it was due to be announced in due course.
At the same time, Khadse also stated that he remains a member and MLC of the NCP (SP) and had opened up before the party's national President Sharad Pawar and state chief Jayant Patil of his plans to quit and join the BJP.
After 'joining' the BJP – though he did not specify the date or who may have objected to his entry there – Khadse said he had reminded them of the formal public entry plans, but there was no proper response.
"The BJP has not yet replied favorably. I shall wait for some more days. Otherwise, I shall start working enthusiastically with the NCP (SP) again. It won't be appropriate for me to continue with BJP then," said Khadse.
The Jalgaon OBC strongman said he had expressed his desire to the BJP top brass to join the party and also informed Sharad Pawar and Jayant Patil about his intentions due to certain compulsions, but which he said he did not spell out to the media.
"I have sent in my resignation from the NCP(SP), but both Pawar Saheb and Patil have not yet accepted it. Pawar Saheb has asked me not to resign as MLC, so I continue to be with the NCP (SP) even today. I have to think of my political future also," said Khadse.
State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule feigned ignorance about what Khadse spoke, but asserted with confidence that he would remain with the BJP – which he had quit several years ago to join the (undivided) NCP.
In yet another charge, labelling Khadse as 'confused person', another senior leader Pravin Darekar claimed no decision is taken on re-admitting him into the BJP, as leaders and activists of Jalgaon, where the party is strong, have objected to it.
A vintage BJP grassroots worker, former administration and powerful orator, Khadse hails from Muktainagar town in Jalgaon with considerable influence in the northern Maharashtra region.
However, due to political differences with ex-CM and present Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and others, plus owing to alleged corruption allegations, Khadse was in the political wilderness till he quit the BJP in October 2020 to join the Sharad Pawar-led -then undivided- NCP.
Working his way up from Sarpanch to winning the Muktainagar Assembly seat six times since 1990 and then becoming the virtual No 2 in the government, Khadse's dreams of becoming the CM remained unfulfilled.
It is this electoral ability, among other things, that has made Raksha Khadse a three-time MP and MoS at the Centre -largely due to Khadse's contribution to her victory, fairly acknowledged by Bawankule. His other daughter, advocate Rohini Khadse, is the NCP (SP)'s women's unit President in Maharashtra.
Khadse was Finance Minister in the first-ever undivided Shiv Sena-BJP government from 1995-1999, and Leader of Opposition 2009-2014, till the BJP-Shiv Sena romped home again in the 2014 Assembly elections.
Contrary to his expectations, Fadnavis was made CM, and Khadse became the reluctant number 2 in the government, till he was forced to quit in 2019 when he was denied a ticket from his stronghold, the Muktainagar seat.
Read also| PM Modi Launches Three Vande Bharat Trains
Read also| PM Modi to Embark on Historic Visits to Brunei and Singapore in Early September
