MUMBAI: Bringing the rifts within the party to fore, senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse has accused former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and party leader Girish Mahajan for the party ticket being denied to him, further adding that some people wanted to end his political career.
“I am told by the BJP’s state core committee members that Devendra Fadnavis and Girish Mahajan had opposed issuing ticket to me from Muktainagar Assembly seat in Jalgaon district. They even opposed BJP central committee’s willingness to give ticket to me. I was told this by some core committee members on condition of anonymity,” Khadse told Marathi TV news channel ABP Majha on Wednesday.
“Going by all the developments that have happened so far, it seems like some people were against me and wanted to end my political career. The state BJP gave tickets to those who had no mass support, which is why we fared badly,” he added.
Khadse handled revenue, agriculture and several other crucial portfolios in Devendra Fadnavis cabinet before resigning in 2016 over accusations of impropriety in a land deal. He could never get back to the cabinet and was also denied ticket in the recently held assembly polls.
“Only Fadnavis was campaigning across the state. Other senior leaders like Gadkari were hardly involved while others like Chandrakant Patil remained captive in their own constituencies,” the leader said while elaborating on the reasons for the party’s defeat in recent assembly election.
Khadse, who was the senior most leader of Fadnavis cabinet, had an ambition of becoming Chief Minister. While it couldn’t be completed, his place in state party too was systematically scuttled. He is trying to regain his position after the party’s debacle in the state in recent assembly polls.
“I shall keep raising issues and keep fighting,” he said while elaborating on his future actions.