Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ visit to Chandrapur on Friday attracted more attention not because it was his maiden tour after assuming office in his new term. But for the political twist provided by the senior most BJP leader of the district, former minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, by his conspicuous absence.
Mungantiwar , a 7-term MLA of the party representing Ballarpur constituency in Chandrapur district of Vidarbha is reportedly sulking ever since he has been not included in the Mahayuti ministry formed last month. Apparently, he is yet to come out of the shock of rejection.
Yet, people attending the function here on Friday to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Karmaveer Dadasaheb (Marotrao) Kannamwar expected him to be prominently present on the dais along with the chief minister. More so because it was a non-political function in which opposition leader Vijay Wadattiwar and Congress MP Pratibha Dhanorkar along with former BJP MP Hansraj Ahir and Fadnavis’ aunt and ex-minister Shobhatai Fadnavis were among the guests of honour.
The purpose of the event on Friday graced by Fadnavis was to pay tributes to Marotrao Kannamwar, a freedom fighter and the tallest political leader of the district who rose from a humble background to be the second chief minister of Maharashtra. In 1962 when the India-China war was on, the state’s first CM Yeshwantrao Chavan, was asked to take over as defence minister in Delhi and the reins of the state were handed over to Kannamwar. But this humble, visionary leader from Vidarbha could remain as CM for only little over a year as he died in office in 1963 at the age of 63.
Mungantiwar . obviously, chose to skip the function as the new BJP MLA of Chandrapur, Kishor Jorgewar, had played the main role in organizing the event. He had opposed the induction of Jorgewar into the BJP just before the state election and his nomination by the party. He even went to Delhi to plead his case. This act is believed to have incurred the wrath of the BJP’s central leadership, especially of Union home minister Amit Shah. What further sealed Mungantiwar’s chances of getting ministerial berth was his alleged support to a rebel candidate who contested against Jorgewar.
Chandrapur assembly seat is reserved for SC and Jorgewar had won in 2019 as an independent. In the recent election BJP roped him in as their nominee because of his electoral merit, despite Mungantiwar’s stiff resistance. This challenge to his dominance in the district’s politics and exclusion from the ministry have hurt Munagtiwar deeply.
Talking to FPJ, Mungantiwar said he had to attend a more ’urgent’ work in Mumbai of vacating the ministerial bungalow. In the last Mahayuti government, he was minister of cultural affairs, forests and was allotted a house . “I am no longer a minister. How can I keep the new incumbent waiting for the official quarters? So I am busy in Mumbai with the shifting. I will finish this work tonight and hand over the keys to authorities by tomorrow,” Mungantiwar said , justifying his skipping of the CM function.
“Moreover, the organizers of the event invited me telephonically only yesterday. How could I make it at such a short notice when I was engaged in house shifting in Mumbai,” he asked.
Reporters covering the function, did ask Fadnavis about the absence of Mungantiwar. “He called me up and told me that he was busy with personal work in Mumbai,” the CM replied. “If there is anything more to it, it’s only in your minds,” Fadnavis quipped.