BJP trying to woo Vanaga family

Mumbai: With Srinivas Vanaga, son of deceased BJP loyalist and MP Chintaman Vanaga, having joined the Shiv Sena ahead of the crucial Palghar by-election, the Maharashtra BJP has gone into a huddle.

So much so that according to party sources, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has tasked guardian minister Vishnu Savara and other senior leaders with getting Srinivas Vanaga back into the BJP fold.

A source said, “Mr Fadnavis called Mr Savara. It is well known within the BJP that Mr Savara and Chintaman Vanaga were not on good terms. They were like two factions of the party in Palghar district. But with the Vanaga family having taken such an extreme position, it could damage the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming by-poll. Hence, Mr Fadnavis asked Mr Savara to take the lead and convince the Vanaga family.”

The task of persuading the Vanaga family has been given to Mr Savara, MLA and senior leader Manisha Chaudhari, and a few local leaders. Anticipating BJP’s move however, the Sena leadership, has taken precautionary measures.

The buzz is that the Vanaga family has been shifted from Palghar to an unknown location so as to keep the BJP leadership at bay.

It was barely two days ago that Srinivas Vanaga and family joined the Sena in the presence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray, citing the cold treatment given to them by Mr Fadnavis, state BJP chief Raosaheb Danave and other senior BJP leaders.

It came as a rude shock to the BJP to see the family of its deceased MP joining the Sena in just four months of his demise. With the Palghar by-poll scheduled after the death of Chintaman Vanaga, this would go against the BJP.

Hence, the party leadership is now trying to woo the Vanaga family back into the BJP fold.