MUMBAI: While putting an end to the speculations of her leaving party, former Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Pankaja Munde said that she feels hurt due to distortion of her social media post and reassured that she won’t be leaving the party.
“I’m thinking of leaving party is a hoax. My facebook post was distorted to draw the inference. I’m feeling very much hurt because of this. I won’t leave the party, rebellion is not in my blood,” Munde told reporters here on Tuesday evening.
Speculations of her thinking of quitting party had begun on Sunday after her social media post. It got air after the mention of BJP was found missing from her twitter bio.
The party symbol of the lotus was seen on her Facebook post on Tuesday.
However, speculations of all the disgruntled elements in state BJP like Eknath Khadse and Prakash Mehta likely to gather at Parli of Beed district on birth anniversary rally of Gopinath Munde to express solidarity peaked.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Monday had assured that all is well and she won’t be leaving the party. However, with the speculations peaking up party began firefighting exercise.
Senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde and former minister Prof. Ram Shinde rushed to visit Munde at her Royal Stone residence on Tuesday afternoon.
Shinde said, after an hour-long meeting, that Pankaja was hurt because of the distortion of her post by the media.
“Every year at Gopinath Gad she makes some major announcement to give direction to followers of Munde. The post was about announcement of the rally. She was hurt because it was distorted in the media,” Shinde said.
“Her father Gopinath Munde contributed immensely in taking the party to all parts of Maharashtra. She keeps getting invitations from party workers all over the state. This whole episode appears to be an attempt to misguide such party workers. She should announce her stand on this at a right time,” he added.
Tawde preferred not to speak to media in detail after the meeting.
“Anybody who is loyal to the party feels hurt when such things are discussed in media,” he said and added that he was sure that she would give a right direction to her followers on December 12.
“Looking at the changed political scenario in state, there is a need to think and decide the way ahead. I need time for some 8-10 days to communicate with myself. Our future journey need to be decided against the backdrop of current political changes,” she wrote in her Facebook post in Marathi.
“What to do next? Which path to be taken? What can we give to people? What is our strength? What are the expectations of people? I will think about all these aspects and come before you on December 12,” she posted.