Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The recent appointments of district chiefs within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have stirred up discontent within the party ranks. A silent uproar has been brewing due to the allocation of positions of honour to leaders coming from other political parties. This has created a cold war between senior and junior party members, potentially impacting future elections.
The appointments, made on July 19, were strategically planned in preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. Notably, one district chief has been assigned the responsibility of overseeing three assembly constituencies in Aurangabad district, marking the first time such an experiment has been conducted within the organisation. However, the effects of this move are already being felt, as key office-bearers have withdrawn from the party's 'Ghar-Ghar Chalo' campaign, and pamphlets prepared for the campaign have reportedly not been distributed as intended.
In the Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency, Sanjay Khambayate has been appointed for Kannad, Vaijapur, and Gangapur-Khuldabad assembly constituencies, Shirish Boralkar for the East, Central, and West constituencies of the city, and Suhas Shirsat for Phulambri, Paithan, and Sillod-Soyegaon constituencies of the Jalna-Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency.
The selection of Khambayate has resulted in disappointment among party members in Gangapur, Vaijapur, and Kannad. Shirsat's appointment has led to the formation of two opposing groups due to his recent transition from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to BJP, and subsequent elevation to the district head position. Vijay Autade also joined BJP from NCP. In a span of eight years, the party gave him the posts of deputy mayor, district chief and Lok Sabha Elections chief. Anuradha Chavan also joined BJP from NCP, the party also gave her an opportunity to work in various positions.
Some veteran office bearers have raised concerns about the future stability of the party organization. They question who will take responsibility if the growing discontent among party members over district posts leads to organizational collapse. The senior members fear that such displeasure could bring more losses than benefits in the future.