Maharashtra BJP chief Bawankule pays courtesy visit to former minister Pankaja Munde

Mumbai, Nov 16 (PTI) Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday met party national secretary Pankaja Munde, who has been sidelined in state politics, at her residence here.

Bawankule posted pictures of his visit to the home of Pankaja Munde, the daughter of BJP stalwart late Gopinath Munde, social media site X.

Beed Lok Sabha member Pritam Munde, sister of Pankaja Munde, was also present during the meeting.

Bawankule described the visit as a courtesy call to greet the Mundes on Diwali.

'Apart from savouring on Diwali delicacies, we had a good discussion on various issues,' said the state BJP president without elaborating.

Pankaja Munde, a prominent OBC face of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, was the rural development minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government (2014 to 2019).

However, she was defeated in her home constituency Parli in Beed district by her estranged cousin Dhananjay Munde, who is from the NCP (Ajit Pawar group), in the October 2019 assembly polls.

Dhananjay Munde joined the Shiv Sena-BJP ruling coalition along with Ajit Pawar on July 2 and is now a minister in the Eknath Shinde government.

Sources in the BJP said the party may consider fielding Pankaja Munde from the Beed Lok Sabha seat in the next year's parliamentary polls.

On earlier occasions, the former state minister said her name was considered for membership of the Legislative Council and asked to file nomination, but had to withdraw at the last minute. PTI MR RSY