BJP's Pankaja Munde at a rally in Beed alleged some in her party didn't want her to win
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kakade on Friday hit out at BJP leader leader Pankaja Munde, saying she was indulging in "blackmailing attempt" by blaming "others" for her defeat in the assembly polls in Maharashtra in October.
At a rally in Beed district on the birth anniversary of her father Gopinath Munde on Thursday, the former minister had said she was not unhappy with her party, but went on to add that the BJP was free to decide on her continuance in the party.
Pankaja Munde also referred to insinuations that she lost the Parli assembly seat in Beed district to her cousin and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde because "some BJP leaders" didn't want her to win.
"She is trying to put the blame of her defeat on someone else's head and trying to gain something from the party. There is an attempt to blackmail the party to gain something," Mr Kakade alleged, adding Pankaja Munde's statements had pained BJP workers.
"She spoke many things yesterday. Instead of speaking now, had she brought these into action in the last five years, she would have won by one lakh votes," he said.
Mr Kakade said Ms Munde had, during her speech, announced she would tour Maharashtra to expand the BJP's base. Taking a swipe at the statement, Mr Kakade said, "But the question is, if you could not handle your own constituency, despite being in charge of important portfolios in the last five years, what are you going to achieve now?"
The Rajya Sabha MP said a person who could not even retain her seat should not make statements of "expanding the party's base".
Mr Kakade hit out at Ms Munde, claiming people from Maratha and Muslim communities faced hardship and Dalits were neglected in her constituency in the last five years.
"As all the communities were neglected in five years, there was resentment which led to her defeat," Mr Kakade said.
On whether the rally was organised to target former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mr Kakade said blaming others indirectly or directly for the defeat was improper. "Gopinath Munde never faced defeat because he was connected to the people. But in the case of Pankaja, she neglected her constituency, played caste politics and that is why she was defeated," he added.
Another BJP leader, Eknath Khadse, who also addressed the Beed rally, targeted Mr Fadnavis. Khadse had said, "There were efforts to ensure Pankaja lost the election. It is my clear opinion that she did not lose the election, but it was planned and executed."