Mumbai: Maharashtra has been shocked by the untimely death of one of the state’s most popular political leaders, Gopinath Munde, 64, who rose from a simple farmer’s family in the poorest region of the state to become a union minister of the newly elected BJP government in Delhi.
The euphoria of the past fortnight when Munde had made plans on constructive schemes for farmers and alleviation or rural poverty during the 100-day deadline, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi entrusted in him the rural development ministry, was shattered to pieces by the accident which claimed his life.
Even as people learnt of the dreadful news in the morning, one of Munde’s close friends and PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said, “I have no words to express my shock and disbelief. He was my good friend and I have seen him through several good and bad times in the past 10-15 years. I just wonder how much grief can this family cope up with.”
This is the second major tragedy for Maharashtra’s top political families — of Munde and his late friend and brother-in-law Pramod Mahajan, who was shot by his own brother Pravin in 2006.
While Mahajan succumbed to his injuries after some days on May 3, Munde, who was married to Mahajan’s sister Pradnya, became a pillar of support to Mahajan’s son Rahul and daughter Poonam who recently won the parliamentary elections from Mumbai.
While Mahajan, a Brahmin, was considered a skilful organiser and party strategist of the BJP, Munde hailing from the OBC (Other Backward Castes) Vanjara community was always seen as a dynamic grassroots mass leader with a lasting connect with his supporters and people.
The two were close friends right from the student agitation days during the Emergency of 1975-77 when Munde apparently fell for Mahajan’s sister and married her. The couple have three daughters, the eldest Pankaja is an MLA in the Maharashtra assembly whilst Pratima is a doctor and Yashashri is studying law.
Munde found his political calling when he attended a training camp of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Pune, became its executive member and by 1980, when the BJP was born out of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, he became the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and was also elected a Maharashtra legislator.
But after Mahajan’s death, Munde was almost sidelined by the BJP as a tussle for power within the state grew with Nitin Gadkari assuming the role of party president.
But nothing could shake the voter’s backing for Munde who never lost any elections — five times in the assembly polls and twice for the Lok Sabha. He was the leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra legislative assembly during 1992-1995 and held the post of Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister of Maharashtra in 1995-1999 when the Shiv Sena and BJP were in power. As home minister of the state, he gave a free hand to the Mumbai and state police to rout out mafia dons and gangsters. He later served as the Deputy Leader of the BJP in the last Lok Sabha.
Munde is the second mass leader from the backward Marathwada region to have died at the height of their political career. Two years ago, Congress strongman and former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh died of illness at the age of 67.
News of his demise brought condolence messages and reaction from all sections of society, particularly from various political parties who till recently had fought a bitter battle at the polls.
In a condolence message, Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan said, “The sudden and untimely demise of Gopinath Munde barely one week after becoming the Union Minister of Rural Development, has caused deep anguish and sorrow to the people of Maharashtra. He was one of the most charismatic leaders who had the potential to provide leadership to the state and assume even higher responsibilities at the national level.”
In fact, Munde was eager to play a significant role in the election campaign for the Maharashtra assembly polls to be held in October so that the saffron partners could come back to power in the state.
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