Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday said BJP stalwart Eknath Khadse, who has been in sulk since he was made to step down in a land grab case in 2016, would not remain with the party for long and that he has already begun cosying up to the NCP.
Speaking to reporters in Jalgaon in north Maharashtra, Raut said Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would take the final call in case Khadse wished to join the Sena.
“Nowadays, Khadse seems to have become closer to (NCP leader) Ajit Pawar and the latter too is responding to Khadse. This indicates Khadse will not remain with the BJP for long,” Raut said.
Though Khadse was responsible for breaking the 25-year-old alliance between the BJP and the Sena, I have a soft corner for him, the Sena leader said.
Meanwhile, Leader of opposition in legislative council Dhananjay Munde of NCP alleged that the BJP came to power with the support of OBCs but is now doing “injustice” with them.
Speaking in Jalna, Munde said the BJP didn’t do justice with former minister Eknath Khadse and late Gopinath Munde.
“The NCP is the only party who gave the rightful share to OBC community,” he said.
Recalling that NCP chief Sharad Pawar was the “first leader to implement the recommendations of Mandal Commission,” Munde said NCP leaders Sunil Tatkare, Jaydutt Kshirsagar, Ganesh Naik, Chhagan Bhujbal were OBC faces “who got an opportunity to serve people due to Pawar”.
Though the BJP government instituted an OBC ministry, it has not appointed a minister from the OBC community. The BJP is merely doing a lip service, he alleged.
PTI