There exists a faction in BJP that defames Pankaja Munde: Bawankule

Mumbai: Amid reports of BJP national secretary Pankaja Munde’s displeasure with the party, the party’s state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has made a surprising comment and said that there is a faction in the BJP that defames Pankaja Munde and the party. He was talking to reporters in Beed on Saturday after a video went viral.

Bawankule said, “There is a faction in the BJP that defames Pankaja Munde and the party. Pankaja Munde spoke only with me during the entire journey with me yesterday. I gave first rank to Pankaja Munde, it is my responsibility, I have not done any favour. Pankaja Munde is our leader, she is our national secretary, so the idea was to let her speak later.”

On the question related to Pankaja Munde’s displeasure, Bawankule said that he regularly talks with Pankaja. “We had a discussion the day before yesterday when her health was not good. Sometimes personal problems come up. No leader can be present in every programme. Today Devendra Fadnavis has gone to Beed as Deputy Chief Minister. If an MLA could not reach that program, should it be taken to mean that he was absent? After the departure of one leader, what is the need for the other leader to be present? Why should four-five leaders get trapped in the same programme? It is always better to have separate programs. No other meaning should be taken from it. Pankaja Munde is a leader and she also has different programmes,” the BJP state chief said.

Bawankule stressed that Pankaja Munde has BJP in her blood. “She can never go to the other party. All such words floating around are just rumours. The opposition should handle their parties. Rumors should not be spread about Pankaja Munde. She is in national politics. No one can mislead Pankaja Munde,” he said.

Even though the BJP state president has said that Pankaja Munde is not angry, but every now and then her displeasure appears. Expressing displeasure in front of Bawankule, she said that outsiders should not interfere in Beed district and we should be allowed to handle our district. Pankaja spoke her mind in front of state president Bawankule in a program organized for the campaign of BJP candidate Kiran Patil for Marathwada teacher’s seat.