Maharashtra Assembly polls: BJP fields fresh faces; Vinod Tawde, Raj Purohit & Prakash Mehta denied tickets

  • | Saturday | 5th October, 2019

It's final now: BJP has denied tickets to veteran leaders Vinod Tawde, Prakash Mehta and Raj Purohit from Mumbai for the Assembly election, making way for new faces. The party has also dropped former minister and OBC leader Eknath Khadse, who resigned as minister in 2016 in the wake of corruption charges. It's all in the family though, as his daughter Rohini has replaced him in Muktainagar constituency, Jalgaon district. Mehta had landed Fadnavis in trouble after he had sent the file with regard to slums rehabilitation project for CM's consideration. In case of Bawankule, who is the energy minister, the party leadership was reportedly not happy on his style of functioning.

It's final now: BJP has denied tickets to veteran leaders Vinod Tawde, Prakash Mehta and Raj Purohit from Mumbai for the Assembly election, making way for new faces. The party has replaced Tawde with Sunil Rane in Borivali, corporator Parag Shah takes Mehta's spot in Ghatkopar east and NCP legislator Rahul Narvekar will contest instead of Purohit from Colaba. The party has also dropped former minister and OBC leader Eknath Khadse, who resigned as minister in 2016 in the wake of corruption charges. It's all in the family though, as his daughter Rohini has replaced him in Muktainagar constituency, Jalgaon district. Further, Energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who is a close confidant of Union minister Nitin Gadkari, has been dropped from Kamthi seat where the party has nominated Tekchand Savarkar instead. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the shuffle is a mere change of roles of the five leaders, and all five said they will abide by the party's decision as loyal workers. FOURTH LIST The party today released fourth list. Apart from Rane, Rohini Khadse, Narvekar, Shah and Savarkar, it has also nominated Pradeep Padole in Katol constituency and Rahul Dhikale in Nashik East seat Mehta's supporters shouted slogans against Shah and allegedly damaged his car. Bawankule's supporters also gathered to express their displeasure. Bawankule had tried get the nomination for his wife from the seat, but failed to do so. In Muktainagar too, Khadse's supporters gathered in large numbers. "I am the worker who follows the orders of the party. I have obeyed the party for 40-42 years. The orders may be bitter, and against my will, but I have followed them. I have never disobeyed once, and will not do so now either." Party insiders say the scratching off of Khadse and Mehta's name is in line with the leadership's resolve to have zero tolerance for corruption. The duo's names figured in corruption cases. Mehta had landed Fadnavis in trouble after he had sent the file with regard to slums rehabilitation project for CM's consideration. In case of Tawde, who comes from the politically influential Maratha community, party's message was loud and clear that self projection would not be tolerated at the cost of performance. Tawde, who is the higher and technical minister, is reportedly axed after he had lost confidence of the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his not so up to the mark performance in his ministry. Fadnavis in the past had clipped Tawde's wings when he was relieved from the ministries of medical education, schools education and sports and youth welfare. In case of Bawankule, who is the energy minister, the party leadership was reportedly not happy on his style of functioning. Mehta, who is the party's Gujarati face, in June was dropped from the cabinet following the Lokayukta report on allegations of him illegally allocating extra building rights in Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects. As far as Purohit, who comes from the Marwari community, he is reportedly failed to get nomination due to his tense relationship with the city BJP chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha.

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