A fresh political controversy has erupted within the Maharashtra unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), centering on senior leader and former minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. His recent public statements have ignited speculation about his relationship with the current leadership, leading to a startling comparison with a former party stalwart who eventually quit the BJP.
The Remarks That Lit the Fuse
The immediate trigger for the latest storm was a comment made by Mungantiwar on Monday. He stated that "no one is permanent in politics, including the chief minister." Within the party's internal circles, this was widely interpreted as an indirect reference to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The remark immediately fueled intense speculation about the state of Mungantiwar's equation with the top leadership.
The situation was further complicated by Mungantiwar's pointed response to CM Fadnavis's public offer to assist him in the Chandrapur region ahead of the upcoming municipal corporation elections. This exchange added more fuel to the fire of perceived internal discord.
The Khadse Parallel and Escalating Tensions
The issue escalated dramatically when Saoner MLA Ashish Deshmukh openly questioned Mungantiwar's motives. Deshmukh asked whether Mungantiwar was "trying to become another Eknath Khadse." This reference carries significant weight in Maharashtra's political landscape. Eknath Khadse, once a powerful BJP leader, had a bitter fallout with Devendra Fadnavis. He was forced out of the Fadnavis-led cabinet in 2016 and was denied a ticket in the 2019 assembly elections, ultimately leading to his exit from the BJP in 2020. Khadse later joined the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Defending the Chief Minister, Deshmukh told the Times of India, "Why is he targeting the chief minister who has done everything for the party? Fadnavis is not someone who sidelines seniors; he carries everyone along."
A Pattern of Dissent and Electoral Setbacks
Mungantiwar's visible unease with the party's state leadership is not a one-off incident. During the recently concluded winter session of the Maharashtra legislature, he openly cornered the ruling Mahayuti government on multiple issues. His interventions were so frequent that opposition members, in a lighter vein, described him as the "leader of the opposition" in the absence of a full-time incumbent.
The strain within the party became more pronounced following the BJP's poor electoral performance in Chandrapur, a region considered Mungantiwar's stronghold. The party lost eight out of ten municipal councils and nagar panchayats. Mungantiwar publicly faulted the state leadership for failing to adequately support local units. He insisted his criticism stemmed from loyalty to the party and was not personal disappointment over his exclusion from the current cabinet.
Adding to the internal friction is Mungantiwar's public spat with Chandrapur MLA Kishor Jorgewar over the inauguration of a cancer hospital in Ballarpur. This episode exposed visible cracks within the BJP's Chandrapur unit.
Sudhir Mungantiwar, a seven-term MLA since 1995, has held several key portfolios including finance, planning, forests, culture, and fisheries. His tenure as finance minister was marked by a surplus budget that received national recognition, and he spearheaded the state's ambitious 50-crore plantation drive, an initiative acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As the controversy simmers, Mungantiwar did not respond to repeated calls from the Times of India seeking his comments. The unfolding drama highlights the underlying tensions within one of India's most prominent political parties in Maharashtra.
