After Nadda who ? The search for the new BJP President is on
|
Swarajya Staff
Contd from previous issue
Electorally, Mathur has served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, representing the State of Rajasthan. The BJP leader is considered to be close to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the latter's tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Vinod Tawde
A prominent Maratha face within BJP from Maharashtra, Tawde is a born and bred Mumbaikar. Starting out as an RSS Swayamsevak first and joining ABVP later, Tawde swiftly rose through the ranks to become the Secretary General of the latter in 1988 and National Secretary in 1993.
In 1995 when the first Shiv Sena-BJP coalition Government came to power in the State, Tawde was appointed as the General Secretary of Maharashtra BJP. Barring a gap between 1999 to 2002 when he was the President of the party’s powerful Mumbai Unit, Tawde continued to serve the BJP as one of its State General Secretaries until 2011.
Apart from the organisational work, Tawde has also dabbled in electoral politics first as a two term member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from 2008 to 2014 and later as a Legislator and State Education Minister in the Legislative Assembly from 2014 to 2019.
When the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 2014 State Assembly elections, Tawde’s name also did rounds as the prospective Chief Minister face apart from that of the then party’s Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Devendra Fadnavis and senior leader Eknath Khadse.
Tawde's political career has not been without controversies. As the State’s Education Minister, Tawde was subject to close scrutiny after reports of his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics being unrecognised. The BJP leader did not deny the same.
After being denied the party ticket for the 2019 State Assembly polls, Tawde was moved to Delhi as the BJP’s General Secretary. Subsequently, he has played instrumental role in State elections of Rajasthan, Haryana and as recently as the Municipal Corporation polls of the Chandigarh Union Territory. As of now, Tawde is the Co-Incharge of the BJP’s Bihar Unit.
Devendra Fadnavis
The saffron party’s most powerful leader in Maha-rashtra, Fadnavis comes from a Deshastha Brahmin family with roots in the Vidarbha region. His father Gangadhar Fadnavis- who died early, was a member of the State’s Legis- lative Council from the BJP.
An RSS swayamsevak since his childhood, Deven-dra Fadnavis like many other senior BJP leaders, started his political journey with the ABVP from his undergraduate college days. He then joined the BJP and was elected as a corporator in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation at the age of 22 and became the youngest Mayor of the city in 1997.
Apart from subsequently serving as the Maharashtra BJP President in 2013 and becoming the party’s first Chief Minister in 2014, Fadnavis has played a crucial role in expanding the saffron party’s network across the State and hoisting the saffron flag atop several civic bodies across the State.
After facing a brief setback between 2019 and 2022 when Uddhav Thac-keray led Shiv Sena parted ways post State Assembly polls, Fadnavis and inter alia the BJP returned to the ruling benches as the Deputy Chief Minister after Eknath Shinde wrested control of the Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP joined NDA ranks. The Maharashtra BJP leader had recently requested the party’s apex leadership to relieve him from the State Government and allow him to re-build the party network across the state. The context for such a request being decline in BJP’s Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra from 23 in 2019 to 9 in the recently held general elections.
Considering that Fadnavis has also in the past served as the in-charge of State Assembly polls in Bihar (2020) and Goa (2022) and since he is also the Central Election Committee member, the leader stands a good chance of becoming the party’s National chief.
Contd from previous issue
Electorally, Mathur has served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, representing the State of Rajasthan. The BJP leader is considered to be close to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the latter's tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Vinod Tawde
A prominent Maratha face within BJP from Maharashtra, Tawde is a born and bred Mumbaikar. Starting out as an RSS Swayamsevak first and joining ABVP later, Tawde swiftly rose through the ranks to become the Secretary General of the latter in 1988 and National Secretary in 1993.
In 1995 when the first Shiv Sena-BJP coalition Government came to power in the State, Tawde was appointed as the General Secretary of Maharashtra BJP. Barring a gap between 1999 to 2002 when he was the President of the party’s powerful Mumbai Unit, Tawde continued to serve the BJP as one of its State General Secretaries until 2011.
Apart from the organisational work, Tawde has also dabbled in electoral politics first as a two term member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from 2008 to 2014 and later as a Legislator and State Education Minister in the Legislative Assembly from 2014 to 2019.
When the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 2014 State Assembly elections, Tawde’s name also did rounds as the prospective Chief Minister face apart from that of the then party’s Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Devendra Fadnavis and senior leader Eknath Khadse.
Tawde's political career has not been without controversies. As the State’s Education Minister, Tawde was subject to close scrutiny after reports of his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics being unrecognised. The BJP leader did not deny the same.
After being denied the party ticket for the 2019 State Assembly polls, Tawde was moved to Delhi as the BJP’s General Secretary. Subsequently, he has played instrumental role in State elections of Rajasthan, Haryana and as recently as the Municipal Corporation polls of the Chandigarh Union Territory. As of now, Tawde is the Co-Incharge of the BJP’s Bihar Unit.
Devendra Fadnavis
The saffron party’s most powerful leader in Maha-rashtra, Fadnavis comes from a Deshastha Brahmin family with roots in the Vidarbha region. His father Gangadhar Fadnavis- who died early, was a member of the State’s Legis- lative Council from the BJP.
An RSS swayamsevak since his childhood, Deven-dra Fadnavis like many other senior BJP leaders, started his political journey with the ABVP from his undergraduate college days. He then joined the BJP and was elected as a corporator in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation at the age of 22 and became the youngest Mayor of the city in 1997.
Apart from subsequently serving as the Maharashtra BJP President in 2013 and becoming the party’s first Chief Minister in 2014, Fadnavis has played a crucial role in expanding the saffron party’s network across the State and hoisting the saffron flag atop several civic bodies across the State.
After facing a brief setback between 2019 and 2022 when Uddhav Thac-keray led Shiv Sena parted ways post State Assembly polls, Fadnavis and inter alia the BJP returned to the ruling benches as the Deputy Chief Minister after Eknath Shinde wrested control of the Sena and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP joined NDA ranks. The Maharashtra BJP leader had recently requested the party’s apex leadership to relieve him from the State Government and allow him to re-build the party network across the state. The context for such a request being decline in BJP’s Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra from 23 in 2019 to 9 in the recently held general elections.
Considering that Fadnavis has also in the past served as the in-charge of State Assembly polls in Bihar (2020) and Goa (2022) and since he is also the Central Election Committee member, the leader stands a good chance of becoming the party’s National chief.