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Modi-Shah think beyond caste-region in making state picks
Mumbai : The appointment of Manohar Lal Khattar as Chief Minister of Haryana, and the likely elevation of Devendra Fadnavis to the post in Maharashtra, indicate a preference in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for “organisational work and electoral merit” over traditional calculations of caste and community.
Khattar is only the fifth non-Jat Chief Minister of a state that has traditionally been Jat-dominated. And Fadnavis is a Brahmin, who are only 3.5 per cent of the population of Maharashtra.
The Congress and NCP have always preferred a Maratha as head of government — of the 17 Chief Ministers so far, only seven have been non-Marathas. The Marathas are 30 per cent of the state’s population.
In his 25 years in the BJP, Fadnavis (44), has never been identified as the leader of a particular caste group. The MLA from Nagpur South West is, rather, seen as a meritorious politician who could win the support of people cutting across caste and community lines in all of Maharashtra.
Fadnavis has also been seen as a “neutral” politician who has steered clear of both the Nitin Gadkari and Gopinath Munde camps in the state BJP.
Some 24 hours ahead of the BJP legislature party meeting, a BJP MLA, echoing the view of several dozen colleagues who have already arrived in Mumbai, said on Monday, “The central leadership of the party has taken a decision (on the next Chief Minister) based on merit, which is acceptable. We leave it to higher-ups.”
A senior leader from Marathwada who was close to Munde said, “It is a lesson for all of us. In the past, we would keep switching from one camp to the other to ensure our political security. Modi and Shah have now sent the signal that what matters is loyalty to the organisation. Let your work speak.”
According to a general secretary of the state BJP, “The Modi-Shah combine has signalled a political culture in which merit and hard work alone will count, and the space for manipulators would shrink.”
Several party insiders acknowledged the long hours put in by Shah in producing the BJP’s 123-seat victory in the assembly election. A senior leader told The Indian Express, “Shah would begin work at 10 am at the party headquarters, and would continue well past 4 am the following morning.” According to these insiders, the BJP president receives reports of every development that takes place in the states.
After the central leadership put the lid on the clamour for Nitin Gadkari to lead the state, some voices from North Maharashtra made a pitch for the former Leader of Opposition.
Khattar is only the fifth non-Jat Chief Minister of a state that has traditionally been Jat-dominated. And Fadnavis is a Brahmin, who are only 3.5 per cent of the population of Maharashtra.
The Congress and NCP have always preferred a Maratha as head of government — of the 17 Chief Ministers so far, only seven have been non-Marathas. The Marathas are 30 per cent of the state’s population.
In his 25 years in the BJP, Fadnavis (44), has never been identified as the leader of a particular caste group. The MLA from Nagpur South West is, rather, seen as a meritorious politician who could win the support of people cutting across caste and community lines in all of Maharashtra.
Fadnavis has also been seen as a “neutral” politician who has steered clear of both the Nitin Gadkari and Gopinath Munde camps in the state BJP.
Some 24 hours ahead of the BJP legislature party meeting, a BJP MLA, echoing the view of several dozen colleagues who have already arrived in Mumbai, said on Monday, “The central leadership of the party has taken a decision (on the next Chief Minister) based on merit, which is acceptable. We leave it to higher-ups.”
A senior leader from Marathwada who was close to Munde said, “It is a lesson for all of us. In the past, we would keep switching from one camp to the other to ensure our political security. Modi and Shah have now sent the signal that what matters is loyalty to the organisation. Let your work speak.”
According to a general secretary of the state BJP, “The Modi-Shah combine has signalled a political culture in which merit and hard work alone will count, and the space for manipulators would shrink.”
Several party insiders acknowledged the long hours put in by Shah in producing the BJP’s 123-seat victory in the assembly election. A senior leader told The Indian Express, “Shah would begin work at 10 am at the party headquarters, and would continue well past 4 am the following morning.” According to these insiders, the BJP president receives reports of every development that takes place in the states.
After the central leadership put the lid on the clamour for Nitin Gadkari to lead the state, some voices from North Maharashtra made a pitch for the former Leader of Opposition.
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सोशल मीडिया पर सर्वाधिक लोकप्रियता प्राप्त करते हुए एमपी ऑनलाइन न्यूज़ मप्र का सबसे ज्यादा पढ़ा जाने वाला रीजनल हिन्दी न्यूज पोर्टल बना हुआ है। अपने मजबूत नेटवर्क के अलावा मप्र के कई स्वतंत्र पत्रकार एवं जागरुक नागरिक भी एमपी ऑनलाइन न्यूज़ से सीधे जुड़े हुए हैं। एमपी ऑनलाइन न्यूज़ एक ऐसा न्यूज पोर्टल है जो अपनी ही खबरों का खंडन भी आमंत्रित करता है एवं किसी भी विषय पर सभी पक्षों को सादर आमंत्रित करते हुए प्रमुखता के साथ प्रकाशित करता है। एमपी ऑनलाइन न्यूज़ की अपनी कोई समाचार नीति नहीं है। जो भी मप्र के हित में हो, प्रकाशन हेतु स्वीकार्य है। सूचनाएँ, समाचार, आरोप, प्रत्यारोप, लेख, विचार एवं हमारे संपादक से संपर्क करने के लिए कृपया मेल करें Email- editor@mponlinenews.com/ mponlinenews2013@gmail.com