MUMBAI: BJP leader Pankaja Munde met PM Narendra Modi and party chief JP Nadda on Sunday in Delhi amid reports that she was hurt by the non-inclusion of her sister in the NDA’s expanded Union Cabinet.
Pankaja, the daughter of late BJP leader and OBC stalwart Gopinath Munde, was expecting a Cabinet berth for Pritam who is a MP from Beed district. This development comes at a time when the BJP is looking to make inroads into the OBC voters. “BJP does not want to give anything to the Munde family but don’t want her to leave too. After the report of dissatisfaction against the BJP leadership, this must be an attempt by Nadda and Modi to pacify her ahead of the local elections,” said a party insider.
Though Pankaja has claimed she would abide by the party’s decision, several BJP leaders owing allegiance to her have resigned and others threatened mass resignations. According to her associate, there is a plan to curtail the importance of the two sisters in party.
“Pankaja lost the state polls to her nephew because BJP leaders helped him. They do not want any major competitor against Devendra Fadnavis. She should have been rehabilitated by giving an MLC post. But it was ignored.” The recent Cabinet expansion in which Pritam Munde was ignored shows that BJP no more wants the two sisters, the associate asserted.