Gopinath Munde: BJP's Man Who Builts Bridges With Others

Gopinath Munde, a farmer's son who became the nation's Rural Development Minister, was adept at building bridges with other parties in the states and became the foremost leader in Maharashtra after the sudden death of his brother-in-law, party strongman Pramod Mahajan in May 2006

This was until his erstwhile junior ministerial colleague in the Maharashtra government in 1994-99, Nitin Gadkari shot in the limelight on being elected national BJP national president in 2009 to salvage the party after its humiliating defeat in general elections that year.

Born as the third child among five in a middle class farmer family as Parali in Beed district in the backward Marathwada region, Munde studied in the modest government school and later of his graduation from a college Ambejogai.

During his college days, Munde met a suave, soft-spoken young man, Pramod Mahajan, who was coaxed him to join Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Later, during the emergency of 1975-77 he was jailed for nearly three years as an RSS activist.

Munde found his political calling when he attended a training camp of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in executive committee member of the Pune RSS. 

By 1990, the Janta Party coalition in the capital was verge on the collapse, and the BJP was born out of the former Bhartiya Janta Sangh Yuva Morcha and was also elected as a Maharashtra Legislature.

Munde's friendship with Mahajan blossomed into a family relationship when he married his sister, Pradnya Mahajan. The couple has three daughters, including Pankaja Munde- Palve, a state legislature elected from their home constituency, Parali.

After working as a legislature of the Shiv,- Sena-BJP opposition in the state in December 1991 Munde was catapulted to the leader of opposition - a coveted post he held till March 1995.

In the Maharashtra elections held later that year, the saffron alliance emerged the surprise winner, ousting the undivided Congress from power when Sharad Pawar was the Chief Minister.

While Shiva- Sena'S Manohar Joshi became the state's first Brahmin Chief Minister, Munde was made the deputy chief minister and home minister for the SS-BJP government's full term before it was voted out in 1999.

His tenure and home minister became famous for the free hand he gave the Mumbai and state police to eliminate mafia dons and gangsters in what came to be known as the dreaded " encounter killings" bye the police. Many ordinary policemen, given a virtually free hand, went around killing gangsters in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur and some other cities.

After Mahajan's death in 2006, Munde gained prominence as the senIor most BJP leader in the state until Gadkari shot him in the stature in 2009 as the party president. But then, the Munde became the deputy leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Despite blowing hot and cold, the Munde- Gadkari managed a fair working relationships in the party politics. Tuesday morning, Gadkari bore the cross of breaking the news of Munde's tragic death.

With the BJP- led NDA's historic win in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, both Gadkari and Munde were made ministers in the union cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, handling important portfolios befitting their stature and experience.

This time even Munde's niece, Poonam Mahajan-Rao (daughter of Pramod Mahajan) ws elected from Mumbai. Her brother Raul Mahajan is a television personality.

Munde is the second mass leader from the backward Marathwada region of Maharashtra to  have died prematurely. Munde's death was a shocking demise, it will be the major loss for the nation. 

You will be Always in our Hearts, May your Sole Rest In Peace.