Friday, Apr 19, 2024 | Last Update : 08:08 AM IST
Nitin Gadkari’s backers demand bigger role
The Assembly polls threw up a hung mandate with the BJP winning only 105 out of the total 288 seats.
New Delhi: After the Maharashtra fiasco, there is growing demand within the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to further involve Union minister Nitin Gadkari in organisation-related issues.
A majority within the state BJP feel that former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ camp “sidelined” Mr Gadkari during election-related activities, including ticket distribution and campaigning. This section is also of the view that if Mr Gadkari's expertise had been used by the state leadership, the BJP would have retained power in Maharashtra and the Shiv Sena would not have joined the Opposition camp. The Assembly polls threw up a hung mandate with the BJP winning only 105 out of the total 288 seats and the Sena, Congress and NCP bagging 56, 44 and 54 seats, respectively.
The BJP not only lost the state to the Maha Vikas Aghadi led by its former ally Sena but dissidence has resurfaced within the party's state unit which the top brass had managed to keep in check after 2014.
