NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, union minister of state Ramdas Athawale were present at 75th birthday celebration for former minister Eknath Khadse
The list of those who worked relentlessly to anchor the party at the grassroots would be incomplete without two names — Pramod Mahajan and Eknath Khadse,” Pawar said. He said Khadse’s work extended far beyond his constituency. “The contribution by Khadse, Mahajan and others helped BJP — which was then limited to some quarters — grow into what it is today,” he added. Explaining the NCP (SP) decision to nominate Khadse to the legislative council after his exit from BJP, Pawar said, “His stature as a politician, and his ability to fight for people were the reasons our party gave him that responsibility.
Speaking at a function organised in Kothali village of Muktainagar taluka to celebrate Khadse’s 75th birthday, Pawar recalled BJP’s formative years and praised Khadse’s efforts in building the party’s grassroots network. “The party was not known to many when Khadse took the responsibility to take the party and its values to the people. Though projected as an all-party gathering, the event was not attended by most local BJP MLAs, MPs and key state BJP functionaries. Union minister of state Raksha Khadse, Eknath Khadse’s daughter-in-law, and Union minister of state Ramdas Athawale were among the prominent NDA politicians present. Senior opposition politicians, including Balasaheb Thorat, also attended the programme.
Nashik: NCP (SP) national president Sharad Pawar on Sunday credited former minister and MLC Eknath Khadse with playing a pivotal role in expanding BJP across Maharashtra , saying the party’s growth story in the state cannot be told without acknowledging his contribution.
“I made it a point to listen to the speeches of two members in Assembly, one of whom was Eknath Khadse,” Pawar said, adding that Khadse consistently raised the concerns of farmers and ordinary citizens while in the opposition.