Nashik: Though the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) currently runs the state through the Mahayuti Alliance for political convenience, the party’s strategists have already begun preparing to achieve their 2029 target of “100% majority on its own.”
The first step in this direction is identifying and promoting strong alternative faces in constituencies currently held by alliance partners, where the BJP itself lacks a strong local candidate. The recent entry of Uday Sangle (Sinnar) and Ramdas Charoskar (Dindori) into the BJP is considered a calculated move for this reported target by the national party. The inclusion of these leaders was personally overseen by BJP state president Ravindra Chavan.
In both Nashik and Jalgaon districts, responsibility for executing Operation Lotus has been assigned to the Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who is also many times called the BJP’s ‘troubleshooter’ in political circles.
Strategy and local equations
Even though the BJP already holds the highest number of MLAs in Maharashtra, it is being said by political observers that the party leadership is determined to win power independently in the 2029 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections.
In the Nashik district, of the 15 assembly constituencies, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) holds 7, the BJP holds 5, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena holds 2, and AIMIM holds 1 seat.
Outside Nashik city, the Ajit Pawar faction poses a strong challenge to the BJP. Therefore, the party is grooming new, strong local leaders in these rural constituencies as part of its long-term plan.
‘Who Replaces Whom?’
According to sources, the BJP has identified the following potential alternatives to prominent Ajit Pawar group ministers:
- Chhagan Bhujbal → Architect Amruta Pawar
- Manikrao Kokate → Uday Sangle
- Narahari Zirwal → Ramdas Charoskar
- Dilip Banker (Niphad) → Yatin Kadam
- Saroj Ahire (Deolali) → Baban Gholap
Efforts are also underway to find suitable alternatives for Nitin Pawar (Kalwan) and Hiraman Khoskar (Igatpuri). The party are reportedly “building momentum” around these emerging figures to strengthen their future prospects.
Dual responsibility for Girish Mahajan
Despite four cabinet-rank ministers from Nashik, the Guardian Minister post for the district has remained undecided for the past ten months.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assigning Independence Day and Republic Day flag-hoisting duties to Mahajan is seen as a symbolic message to alliance partners.
Known as the BJP’s “troubleshooter”, Mahajan’s appointment as Kumbh Mela Minister also carries political undertones. He has been instrumental in bringing leaders from other parties into the BJP fold, even against resistance from sitting MLAs.
Now, Mahajan is leading the charge to find alternative faces to ally MLAs in Nashik and is reportedly employing a similar strategy in Jalgaon, particularly against Shiv Sena legislators. His dual responsibility has become a hot topic in political circles.
