State BJP chief post: Munde camp roots for Fadnavis or Khadse

BJP is keen on having an upright and aggressive candidate for party president in Maharashtra. Days before the party chooses a president for its state unit, names of several senior BJP members as contenders are doing the rounds.

While a section of the party feels that current state BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar should be given a second term, the Gopinath Munde camp has been pushing for Eknath Khadse and Devendra Fadnavis.

A BJP source said a tussle between the contenders was unlikely and in all probability, Mungantiwar would be re-elected. Mungantiwar, a four-time MLA from Chandrapur, is being seen as a neutral candidate having the backing of Munde as well as Gadkari camps.

Asked whether Munde, who has been handed over the charge of the party for the 2014 Assembly elections and is being hailed as the chief ministerial candidate, is a contender, the source said, "Munde has categorically denied the post of state presidentship as he already has a lot of tasks at hand."

Munde loyalists are persuading central leadership to consider him to avoid a parallel power centre in the state. A close aide of Munde said, "Munde feels his assuming the role of state president may not reassure his rivals within the party. Intsead, he would like to spend more time touring Maharashtra."

A section in BJP is not keen on Khadse as he is perceived to be Munde's associate. In such a situation, Fadnavis could emerge as the consensus candidate.

The state BJP wants to complete the process of organisational changes in the first week of February.

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