The BJP leadership will soon take a final call on Maharashtra’s Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday met party president Amit Shah and submitted “a factual report” on the controversy involving the senior OBC leader.
“I have submitted a factual report to Amit Shah on Khadse. The party will take necessary action,” said Fadnavis after meeting Shah here. He also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a separate matter, but sources said, they discussed the controversy surrounding Khadse, whose resignation has been demanded by ally Shiv Sena.
The Minister is bogged down with twin scandals over an illicit land deal and his cellphone allegedly appearing in the call records of most-wanted gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
“The BJP chief had sought the report on Khadse from Fadnavis in keeping with the Modi-Government’s stated zero-tolerance policy on corruption,” sources said.
Khadse has been under attack by political rivals and BJP ally Shiv Sena over the alleged impropriety over purchase of a land belonging to the Government-owned MIDC in Pune at a throwaway price.
Though skirting queries on the immediate removal of Khadse from the State Council of Ministers, a section of party leaders said Shah considers allegations against Khadse “serious”, which have given “enough ammunition” to the political rivals causing damage to “the taint-free Government” at the Centre and the State.
Joining the chorus for Khadse’s ouster, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut reminded ally BJP of its promise of a corruption-free rule and demanded the Chief Minster to clarify his stand on the issue.
The BJP, however, retorted saying the Sena should stop interfering in its internal affairs and that the party leadership was capable of taking a call on the issue.
“Eknath Khadse is a senior leader of the BJP and at a time when allegations are being levelled against him, he is the only one answering everybody. The Chief Minister is not speaking on the issue at all,” Raut told reporters at Mumbai.
“The CM should immediately speak on the issue. The BJP, before coming to power, had promised of corruption-free governance and today serious allegations are being levelled against its leader. There seems to be inconsistency in the promises made by the BJP,” he said.
BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari, however, said that State party president Raosaheb Danve has already backed Khadse over the issue.
The stature of Khadse, who has been a strong contender for the Chief Minister’s post, is weighing on the mind of the party’s leadership, sources said. Khadse has denied all allegations against him with his followers cautioning against any action against their leader, sources said.
Fadnavis had met Khadse on Monday for a discussion. “It was expected he may resign on Monday, but he didn’t. The BJP high command is mounting pressure. He will have to give in,” said a senior leader requesting anonymity.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, upped the ante against the BJP saying Khadse should be sacked.