MUMBAI: The BJP’s Maharashtra state executive committee meeting starting Wednesday is being held against the backdrop of imminent change of guard in the state party organisation as well as a reshuffle in the state cabinet. If sources are to be believed at least two ministers in the state cabinet are likely to be dropped while the name of the new organizing secretary or the new state unit president is likely to be announced.
The state executive committee will meet under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and State President Raosaheb Danve on Wednesday at the party’s city headquarters at Dadar, where agenda will be finalised for the extended state executive meeting on the next day at Borivali. Though the meeting at Borivali will adopt resolutions on current political situation in the state as well as the state government’s decisions regarding the loan waiver, behind the scenes talks are bound to centre on the appointments of new state party president and organisation secretary.
Party’s state organizing secretary Ravindra Bhusari stepped down from his post last month citing the reason that he has turned 60 and had decided a long back that he would engage himself in some social service mission at this age, while Danve is likely to be included in the union cabinet during its expansion next week. That is the reason why, shake-up in both the state party apparatus as well as the state cabinet should take place after the reshuffle at the Center.
On this background, when Education minister Vinod Tawde had a long meeting with national Jt. Gen Secretary in charge of Maharashtra, V Satish at the state party headquarters here on Monday, that gave rise to several speculations. Names of revenue minister Chandrakant Patil and MLC Sujitsing Thakur along with that of Tawde himself started doing rounds in political circles as probable candidates for the post of state BJP president.
Senior party sources, dismissed the idea saying that since the venue of the executive meting lies in Tawde’s constituency and hence he was just finalising the nitti-gritties with senior party officebearers.