I am still ready to work for the BJP," Eknath Khadse said. (File)
Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse issued a veiled warning to his party leadership on Saturday, saying that he would look at other options if his humiliation continued.
Mr Khadge also said that he had submitted to the party leadership "evidence'' of anti-party activities which led to his daughter's and other BJP candidates' defeat in the assembly elections.
The leader met Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil after a meeting of the party's North Maharashtra core committee in Jalgaon
Speaking to reporters later, he said that over the years, he has been kept out of the core committee meetings and decision-making process.
"I am not God. I am a human being and have emotions. I don't want to leave the party for whose growth I worked hard for more than four decades. I am still ready to work for the party," the former minister said.
"But If I continue to face humiliation of being kept away from decision-making, I will have to think differently," he said.
To a question about his statement that Other Backward Class (OBC) leaders in the BJP are being sidelined, Mr Khadse said. "It is not me but party workers feel so. OBC and Bahujan Samaj (a term generally used to denote non-Brahmin communities) leaders have worked hard, giving blood and sweat for the party's growth.
"The party leadership should heed the sentiments of workers and take corrective action. I have been maligned and all kinds of inquiries were set up. If I am guilty, take action. But I have been deliberately maligned and insulted so that I am not in contention for any party job," he said
Mr Khadse, who was the senior-most minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government which came to power in 2014, had to resign over allegations of irregularities in a land deal involving his family.
Speaking about his meeting with the state BJP chief, Mr Khadse said he has submitted all details about "anti-party activities" which led to defeat of party candidates in north Maharashtra.
"He (Patil) asked me not to go public with these details since they were internal issues. He assured me that he would take up the matter with party chief Amit Shah and working president JP Nadda," Mr Khadse said.
Mr Patil later told reporters that he assured Mr Khadse in their one-to-one meeting that action would be taken against those responsible for the defeat of party candidates.
"If anyone is responsible, action would be taken," the state BJP chief said.
Mr Khadse's daughter Rohini was among those who lost the election.
"I have all the proof with names of the individuals who were responsible for BJP's electoral losses," Mr Khadse had said earlier in the day.
He also took potshots at his BJP rival from the region, Girish Mahajan. "Mahajan had said if Khadse had proof he should reveal details. I have submitted the information to the state party president. If he permits I am ready to hold a press conference and disclose everything," he said.