Man Who Could’ve Been Next CM Dead





A Week After Modi Gave Him Key Cabinet Post, Car Crash In Heart Of Delhi Ends Life Of Party's `Tallest Leader' In State BJP May Now Find It Difficult To Get Sena To Give Up Top Job

Gopinath Munde's Maha dream died in New Delhi early Tuesday morning. A hectic 16 hours divided between Mumbai and Delhi proved to be his last. He'd flown to the capital Monday evening just for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his full council of ministers. On Tuesday, he was to fly back at 7am to Mumbai and take a chopper to Beed for victory celebrations.

Munde, the biggest and mo

st popular leader of the BJP in the state whom Modi had just entrusted with the key Cabinet portfolio of rural development, panchayati raj, drinking water and sanitation, was killed in a road accident while on his way to the airport.

His death comes just two days after the Shiv Sena named its boss Uddhav Thackeray as CM candidate for the coming Assembly elections without consulting the BJP, its alliance partner. The BJP, which

won 23 seats compared to Sena's 18 in the Lok Sabha elections, shot back saying no decision had been taken, but strongly indicated that the choice of chief minister would be theirs. There was no doubt in anybody's mind that Munde would be the BJP's nominee.

An OBC leader with considerable mass appeal who helped the BJP shed its upper-caste-party tag in Maharashtra, Munde himself had looked forward to becoming CM. He reportedly told a journalist during the recent Lok Sabha campaign, when asked if he'd relinquish his Beed seat for the top post in the state, "Who would not like to be Maharashtra CM?" After the LS poll win, he told TOI, "Even if I am in New Delhi, my heart will be in the state polls." He didn't appear overly worried about the Sena's unilateral nomination of Uddh

av on Sunday . On Monday evening, just hours before the fatal accident, he reportedly told a journalist, "Uddhav has no doubt made the Sena strong.
But the formula in the alliance is clear: The party that gets more seats gets the CM's post." Though the Sena has been the senior partner in the state, the BJP has been looking to set the recent LS results as the benchmark for seat-sharing this time.

Munde's tragic death at the age of 64 has dealt a harsh blow to the BJP's plans because the party feels it will now be difficult to get the Sena to give up its claim to the top post. Munde's status as mass leader and his record as deputy chief minister during the Shiv Sena-BJP regime (1995-99) meant that the Shiv Sena couldn't question his ability or experience. Union rural development minister Gopinath Munde's sudden death has dealt a harsh blow to the fledgling Narendra Modi government and BJP's plans for Maharashtra assembly polls that are barely four months away.

The early morning crash that killed Munde came at a time when the politician was enjoying renewed relevance in BJP affairs after a lean patch that had seen him even contemplate leaving the party.

Munde's selection for the politically important portfolio of rural development was a careful choice

as Modi wanted to give charge of the ministry to a leader with sound grasp of ground realities.

Munde, a backward caste leader from the Marathwada region, knew about impoverishment and rural distress, given his own hands-on experience as a grassroots leader.

If Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scouting for a minister who could assess the needs of farmers and rural artisans and ensure that billions of rupees of government funds were well spent, he couldn't have done better than Munde.

Munde's departure will again expose the thin leadership reserves in BJP despite its unprecedented 282 seats

in Lok Sabha. It will not be easy for Modi to find a suitable replacement.

Munde's maturity and calm demeanour made him an important ally in Modi's quest to reshape governance and initiate sweeping changes in the BJP organization. A

modern politician despite his subaltern roots, Munde was in sync with Modi over the need to make BJP an upto-date, right-of-centre party.

The Beed MP was an important part of BJP and Modi's plans for Maharashtra, being the one leader who enjoyed recognition across the state. His grounding in RSS's "cultural nationalism" along with his OBC credentials made him a very valuable leader for BJP's bid to woo the numerous backward castes without losing its upper caste appeal.

As deputy chief minister, Munde had acquired a reputation for being an efficient administrator who did not flinch from taking some tough decisions as home minister—he backed the police initiative to crack down on organized crime through a series of encounters.

This time, Munde was very much BJP's CM choice, as his credentials could not be questioned by Shiv Sena on the grounds of capability

and experience.

If BJP succeeds in rewriting the terms of its political deal with Sena, as it hopes to in the light of winning 28 Lok Sabha seats to its partner's 18, Munde would have been its calling card.

Munde had a good profile among the urban classes, being seen as a leader who did not indulge in the confrontationist politics of rural versus urban.

The late leader's biggest asset was his relaxed, genial persona that helped him build relationships across party lines, a trait that stood him in good stead. The effusive and emotional testimonials of allies and opponents are evidence of this.