Mumbai, Oct 11: Deputy leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde is set to take on the Congress-NCP combine in Maharashtra, according to indications from the BJP here Wednesday.
The 63-year old leader from Beed district has been roped in by the party to launch an aggressive 'Save Maharashtra' campaign from Thursday to counter the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) combine in the state, BJP state chief Sudhir Mungantiwar told media persons Wednesday.
"He will also lead the state BJP in the next Lok Sabha and assembly elections whenever they are held," Mungantiwar said.
The development comes barely a couple of months after intense speculation on Munde's alleged "differences" with BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, who is also from Maharashtra.
Around that time, there were loud whispers that Munde was on the verge of quitting the BJP to join either the Congress or NCP, the parties he has now been virtually commissioned to eliminate.
Munde enjoys good personal equations with party ally Shiv Sena, though the BJP had experienced a hot-and-cold relationship with the Shiv Sena.
Munde made his intentions clear when he said that the people of the state are tired of corruption and want a change.
"It is not only the irrigation department which is riddled with scams, massive corruption exists in all other departments (ministries) and they must be investigated," Munde said.
He will start his campaign with five rallies in the state scheduled over the next few days.
Both Mungantiwar and Munde said they would create awareness on corruption and other burning issues before the masses with the message "Congress-NCP hatao, Bhrashtachar mitao, Maharashtra bachao" (Remove Congress-NCP, destroy Corruption, save Maharashtra).
Munde has been a former deputy chief minister and home minister in the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government which ruled the state between 1995-1999. He was leader of opposition in the assembly from 1992-1995.
