Keen to capitalise on late Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopinath Munde’s legacy, the party is planning to field his family members from both his Lok Sabha and state assembly constituencies.
His eldest daughter and political heir Pankaja Munde Palwe is expected to contest from the Beed Lok Sabha seat which fell vacant after his death. The party is also hoping to persuade his younger daughter Pritam Munde to contest from his former assembly constituency Parli in Beed district, which is currently held by Pankaja.
“The public demand is that Mr Munde’s family members contest both elections. While we oppose dynastic politics, we feel deserving candidates should not be overlooked,” said State BJP President Devendra Fadnavis on Monday. After Mr Munde’s death, the Nationalist Congress Party had announced that it would not field candidates against his family members.
“I will take up whatever responsibility the party gives me. At the moment, I just want to contribute to the BJP’s campaign in the state assembly polls,” Ms Munde Palwe said.
Her younger sister Pritam is a doctor and was initially reluctant to enter politics. However, she has recently begun attending party events. Mr Munde’s widow is reportedly not keen on political life while his youngest daughter Yashashri is too young to contest elections.
Meanwhile, the party has also announced a two-week “punha sangharsh yatra” by Ms Munde Palwe along the lines of a yatra undertaken by Mr Munde in 1995 after which the Shiv Sena-BJP came to power in the state. The yatra will be flagged off by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on August 27.
The party is hoping to consolidate Mr Munde’s base through the yatra which will cover 79 assembly constituencies. Mr Munde was among the party’s strongest mass leaders in the state and its Other Backward Class (OBC) face.
