Pankaja Munde

Pankaja Munde (born 26 July 1979), also known by her married name Pankaja Munde-Palwe,[1] is an Indian politician from the state of Maharashtra. Her father Gopinath Munde was Deputy CM of Maharashtra in 1990s. Pankaja Munde was the Minister of Rural and Women, Child Development in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet. She is known as a 'businesswoman' in the Sugar Factory sector & Bank sector. She received 'The Powerful Politician' award in the year 2017 and one of the mass leader and firebrand leaders from Maharashtra state.

Pankaja Munde
MLA, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
In office
2009–2019
Preceded byoffice established
Succeeded byDhananjay Munde
ConstituencyParli
Cabinet Minister, Government of Maharashtra
In office
31 October 2014 – 24 October 2019
Minister ofRural Development,
Child and Women Development
Chief MinisterDevendra Fadnavis
Personal details
Born (1979-07-26) 26 July 1979
Parli, Maharashtra, India
Political partyBharatiya Janata Party
Spouse(s)Amit Palwe
RelationsPritam Munde (Sister)
Yashashri (Sister)
Children1
ParentsGopinath Munde (Father)
Pradnya Munde (mother)
ResidenceMumbai, Maharashtra, India
ProfessionPolitician
Websitewww.pankajagopinathmunde.com

Early life

Pankaja Munde was born on 26 July 1979 to Gopinath Munde and Pradnya Munde. She has two younger siblings, Pritam Munde and Yashashari. She completed her graduation and also holds an MBA. She is a niece of Pramod Mahajan, and a cousin to Rahul Mahajan and Poonam Mahajan.[2]

Political career

Pankaja Munde served as the State President of BJP's youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), in 2012. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra from Parli constituency in 2009. She took oath as Maharashtra Cabinet Minister on 31 October 2014. She was allotted Ministry of Rural Development, Women & Child welfare.

Before 2014 Maharashtra assembly election, Maharashtra BJP announced a two-week "Punha Sangharsh Yatra" which was planned & led by Pankaja Munde along the lines of a Sangharsh Yatra undertaken by her father in 1995 after which the Shiv Sena-BJP came to power in the state. The 14 days long yatra started on 27 August 2014. Politicians like Amit Shah, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy attended this Yatra. Pankaja Munde covered 79 assembly constituencies by doing 600 rallies and 3500  km of road journey.[3] ‘Punha Sangharsh Yatra’ got an overwhelming response and supporters of Pankaja Munde wanted her as Chief Minister of Maharashtra but she never aspired or planned to pitch herself as chief minister.

States like Maharashtra, last two assembly election 2014 and 2019 BJP president Amit Shah started election campaign at Dasera Melava, where obc and Bahujan communist gathered which are bjp's traditional voters. This Melava also led by Pankaja Munde.[4]

She said she just wanted to play a key role in ensuring the BJP comes to power. During her tour and during the poll campaigns, people said she should take her father's place. People cheered for her at Amit Shah’s rally too. But she always said that she likes to be the kingmaker, not the king. Purpose of her Yatra was to ensure the state gets a BJP government and a CM.[5]

She is also known for arranging a memorial of her father and senior BJP leader, Gopinath Munde, at Parli in Beed district. The 20-feet tall statue of him, called Gopinath Gad, was commenced after his death in a 2014 road accident and is sited on the premises of the Vaidyanath Cooperative Sugar Mill. Social activities, drought relief, skill development, education scholarship & many such activities have been started to conducting through 'Gopinath Gad' Prathisthan.[6]

In June 2015, the opposition party Indian National Congress accused her of being involved in the chikki scam, alleging that she had flouted norms by clearing the purchase without floating tenders. Munde rejected the accusations of corruption, arguing that a policy for an online tendering system was not in place when she commissioned the purchase.[7][8] Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also defended her, stating that the norm of inviting e-tenders was introduced by his government in April, two months after Munde cleared the contracts.[9]

After a few days, Anti Corruption Bureau, Maharashtra gave a clean chit to Pankaja Munde in connection with the 206 crore Chikki scandal alleged by the opposition and said the tender was given in compliance with the court's rules, with no facts in this regard.[10]

She also got a huge reprieve as the snacks supplied to schools was found unadulterated and fit for consumption by two government labs.[11]

Personal life

Pankaja married to Amit Palwe. The couple has one son name as Aryaman. She has authored a photobiography of her father, titled Lokneta Gopinath Munde.[12]

Dasara (Dussehra) Melava

The tradition of Dasara (Dussehra) Melava is of devotion and strength, and this tradition was started by Gopinath Munde twenty-five years ago at Bhagwangad, which is the cemetery and workplace of the great Saint Bhagwan Baba.[13] For this Melava, Gopinath Munde addressed the Bahujan community to set new directions and conditions, i.e., 'Shimoullanghan'; To start something new.

After his death, the place was taken over by his successor daughter Pankaja Munde. In 2016, Pankaja Munde decided to take Dasara Melava at Savargaon, the birthplace of great Saint Bhagwan Baba, due to a dispute with the Mahant of the Gad.[14] The Dasara Melava which took place in a large crowd and enthusiasm; Pankaja Munde has been successful in making the same melava in Savargaon.

Bhagwangad is a place of power of the Bahujan and Other Backward Class OBC community. So far, as many people have attended the rally and addressed the gathering; include veterans like Sambhaji Raje , Amit Shah, Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar , Mahadev Jankar, Eknath Khadse, Ram Shinde many other monk-saint.[15][16]

Every year, millions of devotees and supporters participate in this rally with great enthusiasm.[17]

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References
  1. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Pankaja-Munde-Palwe/news/2/2?from=mdr
  2. "If BJP comes to power again, we will change constitution: Pankaja Munde". Newsd www.newsd.in. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  3. "BJP keen to field Munde's kin from his turf". The Hindu. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  4. "Amit Shah started Maharashtra election campaign at Dasera Melava". swarajyamag. 8 October 2019.
  5. "Want to be the kingmaker, not the king in these polls: Pankaja Munde". Hindustan Times. 8 October 2014.
  6. "BJP Chief Amit Shah To Inaugurate Gopinath Munde Memorial Tomorrow". NDTV.com.
  7. "Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde Rejects Congress Charge of 200-Crore Scam". NDTV.com.
  8. "News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates". News18.
  9. "Munde row: Fadnavis meets PM Modi, says no irregularities 'prima facie'". Firstpost.
  10. "Pankaja Munde given clean chit by Maharastra ACB in chikki sca". Hindustan Times.
  11. "Chikki scam: Partial relief for Pankaja Munde as 2 labs clear samples – Live India". web.archive.org. 24 February 2016. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016.
  12. "Sakaal Times".
  13. "Gopinath Munde start the Dasera Melava at Bhagwangad". loksatta.
  14. "pankaja Munde moves Bhagwangad to Savargaon". Saamana.
  15. "Amit Shah addressing Dasara rally in Bhagwangad". Deccan chronical.
  16. "many veterans join Dasera melava rally". loksatta.
  17. "millions of chairing in rally". Loksatta.
Political offices
Preceded by
Jayant Patil		 Cabinet Minister for Rural Development, Maharashtra State
December 2014–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
 Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development,
Maharashtra State
December 2014–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
 Maharashtra State Guardian Minister for Latur district
December 2014–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
 Maharashtra State Guardian Minister for Beed district
December 2014–present		 Incumbent
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