State mourns the death of BJP leader Gopinath Munde who was a strong contender for the post of Maharashtra CM.
The sudden demise of BJP leader and Union Minister for Rural Development Gopinath Munde has left a huge vaccum in the Maharashtra politics which is hard to fill. Munde who was the frontrunner for the post of Maharashtra CM died in a road accident in Delhi. BJP leaders are mourning Munde’s demise as he had played a vital role for reviving the saffron party in the state. After BJP’s impressive performance in the Lok Sabha election Munde had already started working for the assembly elections which is few months away.
Munde had asked his party workers to forget about the party’s victory in general election and start working hard for the assembly polls. He was known as an able leader who possessed exceptional administrative knowledge and people management skills which turned around the saffron party’s fortunes in Maharashtra. Munde’s death is a huge loss for the BJP as the party will find it difficult to find his replacement who can connect with the masses at the grassroots level. Even though Munde was inducted into the cabinet but his heart beats for Maharashtra. He shared a good rapport with Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and was responsible for strengthening the alliance with party for the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra.
Born on December 12, 1949, and hailing from Nathra village in Beed district, Munde was member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for five terms, 1980-1985, 1990-2009. He was born to Pandurang Munde and Limbabai Munde in a middle class Vanjari (caste) farmer’s family.
Various leaders from the state and the centre paid tributes to Gopinath Munde and described him as popular mass leader and distinguished public servant.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi captured Munde’s rise in state politics over the years when he said, “Mundeji was a true mass leader. Hailing from backward sections of society, he rose to great heights and tirelessly served (the) people.”
In a condolence message, Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan said, “It is heart wrenching that such a tragedy must unfold within days of him taking over as a Union Minister. He was one of the few leaders who rose above politics to strive for people. He did immense for the state in his capacity as legislator, deputy chief minister, and member of the parliament.”
State BJP chief Devendra Fadanvis tweeted, “Unbelievable, shocking, can’t express the sudden vacuum felt. Munde was not just a mass leader but a fatherly figure in BJP. There can’t be another Gopinath Munde.”
NCP leader Sharad Pawar described Mr Munde’s death as shocking and said, “We have lost a dynamic mass leader”.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray condoled the death of Union Minister Gopinath Munde and described him as an ‘outstanding’ politician.
“I had friendly relations with him (Gopinath Munde) from a long time. It feels very bad that an outstanding politician like him expired so suddenly,” Mr Thackeray said.
“As far as Gopinath Munde as an individual is concerned, it is a loss to the politics of Maharashtra,” he said.
Aneel Murarka, MD, Mirachem Industries and Trustee, C. B. Murarka Charitable Trust said, “An early morning message about Union Minister for rural development, Hon. Shri Gopinath Mundeji’s sad and untimely death brought in shock and despair. He was a committed leader who had worked for the upliftment of the various sections of the society. He had a zest for life that few of us do and was willing to share it with others. My sincerest condolences to his near and dear ones. My prayers to the almighty for letting his soul rest in peace”.
Dr. Ajeenkya DY Patil (Chairman Ajeenkya DY Patil Group) said, “I am deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Shri Gopinath Munde. Maharashtra and the nation have lost a true grassroots leader, a void that is hard to fill, a loss that is irreparable.”
Hailed as a grassroots leader, Munde recently won the Lok Sabha elections from Beed by a margin of over 1.4 lakh votes against Ramesh Kokate of the Nationalist Congress Party.
