Pankaja Munde skips BJP meeting; Khadse to attend her Swabhiman rally

Pankaja Munde was absent from the division-level meetings of the BJP as well

PAnkaja Eknath pti A collage of Pankaja Munde and Eknath Khadse | PTI

Senior BJP leader and former Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde on Tuesday remained absent from the party's state unit core committee meeting in Mumbai, claiming she needed time to oversee preparations for her public address in Gopinathgad in Beed on December 12.

Pankaja Munde, who has been holding a public rally every year on the birth anniversary of her father and former Union minister, the late Gopinath Munde, was absent from the division-level meetings of the BJP as well.

She did not attend the party's regional-level meeting held in Aurangabad on Monday either, though state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said she was "unwell" and hence could not take part in the meet.

Pankaja skipped Tuesday's meeting of the state BJP core committee in Mumbai on the grounds she was busy with preparations for her rally in Gopinathgad in Beed on December 12.

Pankaja was defeated by her cousin and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde from Parli in the October Assembly polls, and there has been speculation that she was unhappy with the BJP.

Another BJP leader, Eknath Khadse, is also said to exploring other options.

Khadse, however, said he was not unhappy with the BJP.

Khadse, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said he will take part in Pankaja Munde's 'Swabhiman' rally at Gopinathgad. Khadse met Pankaja Munde at her residence in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Both Khadse and Pankaja are influential OBC leaders in Maharashtra and have been perceived to be rivals of former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.