Chandrashekhar Bawankule is general secretary of BJP Maharashtra unit

NAGPUR: Former minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has been finally rehabilitated with the BJP top bosses appointing him as one of the six general secretaries of the state unit. Former mayor Archana Dehankar and corporator Dharmapal Meshram have been appointed as secretaries. MLA Sanjay Kute from Buldhana district has been appointed as a vice-president.
Bawankule was the third most powerful BJP leader in the district in the last government.He received a jolt when he was denied the ticket for the 2019 assembly elections. Some topmost BJP leaders were reportedly annoyed with him. The reason for this displeasure is yet to be made public.
The ex-minister’s name was proposed by the state BJP unit for a member of legislative council (MLC) ticket along with that of Eknath Khadse, Vinod Tawde and Pankaja Munde. However, the top party leadership rejected all names and Pravin Datke got the ticket from Vidarbha quota.
Bawankule is the only one among the four sidelined leaders to make it to the state executive. Pankaja’s sister Preetam Munde (an MP) and Eknath’s daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse (also an MP) have been given posts. Vinod Tawde has been left high and dry again.
Sanjay Puram (Gondia) and Rajendra Bakane (Wardha) are the other office-bearers from Vidarbha.