On a day when the ruling BJP captured power in 10 out of 25 Zilla Parishads in Maharashtra, State Rural Development Pankaja Munde scored a tactical victory over her estranged cousin Dhananjay Munde of the NCP by gaining control over the Beed Zilla Parishad through defections in the Sharad Pawar-led party. In the polls to the posts of presidents and vice-presidents in 25 Zilla Parishads held on Tuesday, the BJP had its candidates installed as presidents in 10 ZPs, while the NCP and Congress had their way in six and five ZPs respectively.
The Shiv Sena succeeded in capturing power in four remaining ZPs. The highlight of Tuesday’s polls was the manner in which Pankaja, daughter of late BJP Gopinath Munde, inflicted a body blow to Dhananjay on their home turf, by capturing power in the Beed Zilla Parishad. The BJP’s Pankaja — who had suffered a setback in the ZP polls held last month — engineered defections in the NCP and had her candidates installed as the President and vice president of the Beed Zilla Parishad in the polls held on Tuesday.
Pankaja, who had offered to resign from her Minister’s post after the debacle in the local body polls in Beed district last month, enlisted the support of the members owing allegiance to NCP’s rebel leader Suresh Dhas to capture power in the Beed Zilla Parishad. Pankaja’s victory over Dhananjay, who is the leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council, should been seen in the light of the fact that the NCP had emerged as the single largest party in the ZP polls held last month.