Maharashtra BJP Forms New Executive, Pankaja Munde to Get 'National' Role

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Friday announced the party's new executive committee for the state, and said that former minister Pankaja Munde will get a role in the party at the national level soon.

Addressing a press conference, Patil said that apart from her position at the national level, Munde will also be made part of the state BJP's core committee.

Patil, who was the Revenue Minister in the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led state government, was appointed the state BJP president in July last year. He had replaced Raosaheb Danve, who had resigned from the position after his induction into the Union cabinet.

The constitution of the new executive committee of the state unit was pending since then.

"In the new body, there are 68executive committee members, 12 vice presidents, five general secretaries, 12 secretaries, one treasurer and one general secretary (organisation). Apart from them, there are 139 invitees and 58 special invitees," Patil said.

"Pankaja Munde will be given a party position at the national level soon. She will also be made part of the state BJP's core committee," Patil said.

Pankaja, daughter of BJP stalwart late Gopinath Munde, had lost the Parli seat to her cousin and NCP rival Dhananjay Munde in the state assembly polls held last year. She had been reportedly sulking since her defeat in the state polls. She was reportedly also upset over not being given candidature for the state Legislative Council polls held on May 21.

The 12 vice presidents include former state minister Ram Shinde, former ministers and current legislators Jaykumar Raval and Sanjay Kute.

Shinde had lost last year's assembly polls.

Beed MP and Pankaja's younger sister Pritam Munde and state BJP spokesman Madhav Bhandari are also vice presidents of the executive committee, he added.

Two-time MP Raksha Khadse, daughter-in-law of party veteran Eknath Khadse, is one of the 12 secretaries.

Former energy minister Chandrashekar Bawankule, is among the five general secretaries of the state executive, Patil said.

Bawankule was denied ticket in the last assembly polls.

While Mihir Kotecha is the treasurer, Vijay Puraniis the general secretary (organisation), he said.

Patil said that the state executive has representation from all sections of the society and all regions of the state.

Among the 58 special invitees are Madhukar Pichad, Gopal Agrawal, Harshvardhan Patil, Udayanraje Bhosale, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Ganesh Naik, Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, who had quit either Congress or NCP leaders and joined the BJP on the eve of elections last year. Union ministers Nitin gadkari, Piyush goyal, Prakash Javdekar and senior leader Devendra Fadnavis are also special invitees.

Former CM Narayan Rane, who was earlier with Shiv Ssena and then Congress, is also in this list.

BJP leaders Eknath Khadse, Pankaja Munde, Prakash Mehta as well as Vinod Tawde, Kirit Somaiya, who had been denied tickets in the last election, also figure in the special invitees list.