Pankaja Munde skips core committee meeting of Maharashtra BJP

Mumbai, Dec 11: Senior BJP leader and former Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde on Tuesday remained absent from the party's state unit core committee meeting here, claiming she needed time to oversee preparations for her public address in Gopinathgad in Beed on December 12.

Munde, who has been holding a public rally every year on the birth anniversary of her father and former Union minister, the late Gopinath Munde, was absent from the division-level meetings of the BJP as well.

She did not attend the party's regional-level meeting held in Aurangabad on Monday either though state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said she was "unwell" and hence could not take part in the meet.

Munde skipped Tuesday's meeting of the state BJP core committee in Mumbai on the ground she was busy with preparations for her rally in Gopinathgad in Beed on December 12.

She was defeated by cousin and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde from Parli in the October Assembly polls, and there has been speculation that she was unhappy with the BJP.

Another BJP leader, Eknath Khadse, is also said to exploring other options.

Khadse, however, said here he was not unhappy with his party.

Khadse, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said he will take part in Munde's 'Swabhiman' rally at Gopinathgad.