MUMBAI, February 6: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s desperate attempt to present Dinabama Patil, former Congress legislator from Bhandup in north-east Mumbai, before the press and electronic media on Friday was in vain as the latter did not turn up.BJP's claim that it has succeeded in wooing Dinabama Patil and his son Sanjay Patil, who is the city president of National Students Union of India, proved to be misleading. It was Dinabama Patil who in fact has joined while his son has yet to put in his papers.
Dinabama Patil confirmed to The Financial Express his decision to join the BJP with a firm belief that the party was in a position to provide a stable government under the prime ministership of AB Vajpayee.
The state BJP headquarters witnessed high drama when deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde had to announce Dinabama's entry into the party fold in the latter's absence. Munde said that Dinabama, who wanted to remain present at the press conference, could not make it as his brotherwas admitted to a local hospital.
The BJP had organised a press conference over lunch at 1 pm. However, the mediapersons had to wait for about two hours for Munde's arrival. In the meanwhile, state party spokesman Prakash Jawadekar had to requestpresspersons to eat their lunch first which was to be followed by a press conference.
Jawadekar continued to tell presspersons that Munde would come within 15 minutes, but the latter actually turned up alone two hours behind schedule. The move has drawn dismay and surprise among party observers who have strongly expressed displeasure over the issue.
The BJP hopes to get support from Dinabama Patil's followers from the Congress party and the members of unions headed by him. Dinabama's entry was given special significance as according to party sources it would help the party general secretary Pramod Mahajan win with a comfortable margin from the north-east constituency. Mahajan has been pitted against Gurudas Kamat, nominee of the Congress which has aligned withthe Republican Party of India and the Samajwadi Party.
The BJP is also confident of luring votes from the agri community,minorities and other backward classes with the entry of Dinabama Patil who belongs to that community. Dinabama Patil was elected on a Congress ticket to the state assembly in 1985 from the Bhandup constituency in the north-east. However, he failed to retain his seat in the 1990 elections as he was defeated by the Shiv Sena nominee Leeladhar Dake.
Dinabama Patil, though termed as a "spent force" in the Congress, has been known as a close confidante of Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar. Patil heads Mazdoor Congress, Maharashtra Woollen Mazdoor Sangh, both affiliated to the Indian National Trade Union Congress.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
