Maha polls: Sans Munde-Deshmukh, parties in tattered condition
Gopinath Munde
Gopinath Munde, former Deputy Chief Minister of the State, was the tallest and the most experienced leader of the BJP. He is credited to have changed the face of Maharashtra politics and also the BJP. Before the 1980s, the State politics was dominated by Marathas like Yashvantrao Chavan and Sharad Pawar. But Munde alongwith his friend Pramod Mahajan, both hailing from Marathwada region, diminish their dominance.
Munde was the architect of the social engineering formula by cobbling up the opposition 'Mahayuti' alliance which got 42 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the State in the recent Lok Sabha polls. He brought several diverse forces like RPI (Athawale), Shivsangram (an offshoot of Maratha Mahasangh) and Swabhimani Shetkari Sangthana against the Congress - NCP alliance.
Election management skills of both Deshmukh and Munde were legendary.
OBC
face
of
BJP
in
Maharashtra
and
former
Deputy
Chief
Minister,
Gopinath
Munde,
was
all
set
to
spearhead
the
party's
campaign
in
the
upcoming
Assembly
polls
in
the
State.
But,
he
died
in
a
road
accident
in
June
this
year.
Until
his
death,
he
was
being
seen
as
a
front
runner
from
the
BJP
camp.
BJP
cadre
feel
that
had
Munde
been
alive,
the
party
would
have
been
in
much
stronger
position
today
and
would
have
much
say
in
its
alliance
with
Shiv
Sena.
Vilashrao Deshmukh
Vilashrao
Deshmukh
may
not
be
the
mass
leader,
but
the
Congress
cadre
in
the
State
is
surely
missing
him.
Unlike
the
present
Chief
Minister
Prithviraj
Chavan,
Deshmukh
was
very
well
aware
with
the
ground
realities.
He
was
connected
with
the
grass-root
workers.
Deshmukh
was
a
smart,
pragmatic,
astute
leader
who
was
known
for
his
management
skills.
Vilasrao
was
the
only
leader
who
could
handle
the
party
in
time
of
crisis.
In
absence
of
leaders
like
Deshmukh,
the
party
is
finding
its
difficult
to
retain
its
ground.