Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde on Monday received a major jolt when his elder brother, Pandit Anna, announced his plans to join the Nationalist Congress Party. Sources from the NCP informed that Mr Pandit will formally join the party on Thursday in a function held in the presence of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. Several other BJP workers from Mr Munde’s Parli constituency are also expected to follow Mr Pandit.
Mr Pandit held Mr Munde’s wife Pradnya responsible for causing a rift in the family.
“We were ignored in the BJP. Mr Munde was intentionally unjust to us during the Parliamentary elections, then in the state Assembly elections and lately in municipal council elections. Hence, I have decided to join the NCP,” Mr Pandit.
The differences between the Munde brothers had come to fore last week.
It all started last month, when Mr Munde’s nephew and Mr Pandit’s son Dhananjay had pitted a party rebel against the official candidate for the municipal council. The candidate backed by Dhananjay won. Though Mr Munde criticised Dhananjay after the election, Mr Pandit had remained silent.
However, the situation worsened when during a rally Mr Munde said that he would wipe out those who had gone against him.