Maharashtra BJP unit vice-president Madhav Bhandari’s son, Chinmay Bhandari, has expressed his disappointment over his father’s perceived lack of recognition within the party.
Despite holding the position of Pradesh Upadhyaksh, Mr. Madhav Bhandari, 69, remains among the leaders in the State who, according to his son, have not received due acknowledgement for their “dedicated service”.
In a poignant social media post highlighting his father’s association with the BJP, he shared a photograph alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi and underscored his “selflessness, extensive social work, and significant contributions to the organisation” spanning almost five decades.
Mr. Chinmay Bhandari expressed dismay over the fact that, despite being a respected figure in the political arena, his father faces a lack of recognition within the party.
This revelation coincides with the BJP’s nomination of Congress defector and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, the party’s former MLA from Pune’s Kothrud Medha Kulkarni, and RSS worker Ajit Gopchade from Nanded, for the Upper House. The post sparked discussion among the party leaders and cadre.
He also mentioned about Mr. Madhav Bhandari’s multifaceted contributions, including roles in building the party organisation, mentoring party workers, and addressing critical issues in Maharashtra.
“Most people know him as a fiery spokesperson who became one of the most prominent voices of anger against the UPA government in Maharashtra from 2008 to 2014. But he has been much more than that, and he has done much more than that. In these 50 years, he has helped build the organisation in various parts of Maharashtra in multiple roles. He has helped thousands of people and hundreds of villages across the State. He has positively influenced lakhs of lives,” Mr. Chinmay Bhandari said.
The son also recounted instances of his father’s selflessness, citing a time when the family chose to live without electricity for 18 months while serving as vice-president of Sindhudurg Jilha Parishad.
“I will give you an example of its extent. When he was vice-president of Sindhudurg Jilha Parishad in the late 90s, our house was outside of town. The electricity grid is a kilometre away. So, instead of forcing MECB to build it for one house, he chose to wait for 18 months, and we lived without electricity for that period. This is while he was building roads and bringing electricity to many other villages,” he shared, adding that despite such sacrifices Mr. Madhav Bhandari remains one of the least rewarded leaders within the party.
He said that almost 12 times, he had seen his father in contention either for Assembly or the Upper House, but nothing was finalised.
“I am not in any position to question or judge the leadership. I don’t even want to do that. Because, like my father, I too believe in them,” he said. Mr. Chinmay Bhandari expressed his hope for a due reward for his father, stating that his disappointment stems from a genuine desire to see recognition for someone who has dedicated his life to the BJP.
“Setbacks and disappointments do not deter my father, and they never will. He will continue to work for the party as long as he can, putting this nation, this State and its society first, as always,” he added.
Meanwhile, sources said that the Shiv Sena (UBT) is carefully monitoring the situation and may consider making an effort to approach him with a proposal.
