Maharashtra BJP leader Pankaja Munde consoles bereaved cousin Dhananjay
Political rivals and cousins Pankaja and Dhananjay Munde were seen together at the funeral of Pandit Anna Munde, Dhananjay's father and Gopinath Munde's elder brother.
In Short
- Ties between Pandit Anna and Gopinath Munde when the latter chose Pankaja, not Dhananjay as his political heir.
- Dhananjay later switched over to the NCP along with his father.
- Last week, Pankaja and Dhananjay had an argument over Dussehra rally at Bhagwan Gad.
Setting politics aside, sworn political rivals and cousins Pankaja and Dhananjay Munde were seen together at the funeral of Pandit Anna Munde, Dhananjay's father and Gopinath Munde's elder brother. Pandit 'Anna' Munde passed away on Thursday in hometown Parli-Vaijnath after suffering a heart attack. He was 75.
Pandit Anna and Gopinath Munde had started their political careers in the BJP. But relations between the two brothers had strained in 2009 when Gopinath Munde chose daughter Pankaja as his political heir over nephew Dhananjay.
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DHANANJAY JOINED NCP
Dhananjay, who is now the leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, later switched over to the NCP along with his father. The political rivalry between the families continues in the form of Dhanajay and Pankaja.
Only last week, the rival cousins had a heated argument over the annual Dussehra rally at Bhagwan Gad, a place revered by the Wanjari community to which the Munde family belongs. Pankaja and her supporters had mainly targeted Dhananjay Munde in the rally.
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PANKAJA'S PRESENCE AT FUNERAL A SURPRISE
But Pankaja's presence at Pandit Anna's funeral took many by surprise. Political observers believe that the gesture would help bring the two more friendly towards each other. A senior NCP leader on the condition of anonymity said, "They are a family after all. There may be political difference but after all, blood is always thicker. But their coming together as one, politically, is a distant possibility."