‘Son-stroke’ puts state BJP chief on a sticky wicket, gives oppn ammo

For the first time in his three-decade political career, 55-year-old state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule is on the back foot owing to his son Sanket's involvement in a car accident. Apparently, Sanket was present in his car driven by a friend. Reports say before the accident, he had dinner with his friends in a bar. Surprisingly, the entire CCTV footage, from Sanket and his friends' entry in the bar to leaving it, has gone missing.
After the hit-and-run, in which two persons were seriously injured and a few cars were damaged, it appeared that the controversy would die down on its own since Sanket had not been at the wheel.However, after the entire opposition led by MPCC president Nana Patole stepped in, it became difficult for Bawankule to face the situation. Besides Patole, firebrand Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare raked up the issue, as did leader of opposition Vijay Wadettiwar, and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut.
Bawankule has been in politics for a long time. He was an MLA for three consecutive terms from Kamptee and was in Devendra Fadnavis's cabinet from 2014-19, but he never had to face such an embarrassment. Bawankule made umpteen attempts to explain that he didn't call up Nagpur police to suppress the accident, but there were no takers for it.
Significantly, even after BJP's poor show in the LS elections this year, there was less criticism of Bawankule.
Khadse in a limbo
Six months after he declared his intention to rejoin BJP, controversial politician Eknath Khadse now has nowhere to go. He met BJP president J P Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah—he quietly posted his photographs with them on X, saying he would soon rejoin the party—but the state party leadership has stalled his entry and now, the central brass appears to be helpless.
Apparently, the BJP leadership has asked Khadse to secure the green light from deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and north Maharashtra leader Girish Mahajan. Both are his archrivals.
Khadse took the decision to go back to BJP just before the LS polls. His intention was clear—his re-entry would help his daughter-in-law, Raksha Khadse, secure a victory in those polls. Khadse then called on Sharad Pawar and expressed his desire to quit NCP (SP) and rejoin BJP. For Pawar, the news was shocking since he had stood by Khadse during his crises—a series of inquiries by ED, income tax and Anti-Corruption Bureau. All along, Fadnavis and Mahajan had strongly opposed Khadse's re-entry for obvious political reasons, since it was not convenient for Mahajan, the undisputed BJP leader of north Maharashtra. Supporters of Mahajan felt that if Khadse joined BJP, it would reduce his political importance.
Now that the LS polls are over, central BJP is keen on readmitting Khadse in view of his political influence in north Maharashtra, which will help the party in the assembly elections.