'BJP's open-door policy to purify corrupt Oppn leaders deep contention for loyalists': Shiv Sena(UBT) in Saamana

Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS) The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Wednesday took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for following an open-door policy, a pattern for the last 11 years of first accusing opposition leaders of corruption, then letting them in after "purifying" them.

The Thackeray camp in the party's mouthpiece, 'Saamana', said this open-door policy has emerged as a point of deep contention for party veterans.

The editorial referred to former BJP Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar’s outburst expressing significant discontent with the current state of the party, comparing its organisational structure to the village of Shani Shingnapur, known for houses without doors. While the BJP secured the most seats in recent municipal council and nagar panchayat elections across Maharashtra, the party suffered a major setback in Mungantiwar’s home district of Chandrapur.

Addressing the BJP’s methodology, Mungantiwar remarked that the BJP has adopted a formula where "anyone can enter at any time and be absorbed into the party".

He specifically noted that in Chandrapur, the BJP is the only party that effectively has "no doors". This sentiment extends beyond a single district, reflecting a national trend where the BJP opens its doors to leaders from all political backgrounds, said the editorial.

“The veteran leader's frustration follows a poor showing in the Chandrapur district elections. Of the 11 municipal seats, the BJP won only two. The Congress took seven seats, while one went to an Independent and another to the Shinde faction. Mungantiwar attributed the loss to internal factionalism and a lack of support from party leadership. He claimed that while the Congress empowered its leaders, his own party leaders worked to reduce his strength,” said the editorial. It further added, “Having previously served as the state's Finance Minister, Mungantiwar was replaced by Ajit Pawar, a move he perceives as a slight against his 'loyalty' and 'capability',” said the editorial.

According to the editorial, the friction has led to public spats with other BJP members. "Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule remarked that losing is not simply a result of not having a ministerial post, to which Mungantiwar retorted that Bawankule felt the same when his own power was reduced previously. A newcomer at the party even taunted him by asking if he was following the path of former BJP minister Eknath Khadse," it said.

"The response to the 'suffocation' felt by loyal party workers due to the influx of imported leaders from other parties, Mungantiwar announced a 'Dialogue Tour' across the state. However, the party leadership, fearing a massive show of support from restless loyalists, intervened immediately. Consequently, Mungantiwar cancelled the tour within a few hours, said the editorial.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena claimed that the "Shani Shingnapur" comparison remains a "thorn in the side" for Mungantiwar, and many dedicated activists feel that the party's identity is being compromised by its open-door policy.