New Delhi:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said, 'Wait and watch', when he was asked about whether senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde might soon be a Congressman.
That's unlikely to calm the nerves of the BJP, which held an emergency meeting in Mumbai this morning to discuss the turf war that's playing out between Mr Munde and BJP President Nitin Gadkari in their home state.
Mr Munde went public with his dissent on Friday, telling TV reporters that he was frustrated because his party leaders refused to respond to his complaints. Those grievances centre on Mr Gadkari's supporters being assigned to key BJP posts in Maharashtra. Mr Munde also reportedly wants to head the BJP's efforts in the next Maharashtra elections. This request was allegedly refused by leaders like LK Advani in a series of meetings with Mr Munde in Delhi this past weekend.
In Mumbai today, Mr Munde said "I am not asking for anything for myself..only for my party workers." He also denied asking to be made in charge of the party's affairs in Maharashtra.
The BJP seems to have decided that it will not be blackmailed by Mr Munde, mainly because it believes that his one-time mass support base has eroded somewhat. Mr Munde has been a powerful and charismatic OBC leader, who is credited with strengthening the BJP in Maharashtra along with his brother-in-law, Pramod Mahajan who was shot dead a few years ago.
Mr Munde did not attend this morning's meeting. His daughter, Pankaja, who is an MLA, was present. "Don't want to comment on anything, am too small in the party. We were told not to believe rumours," she said.