Pankaja Munde

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.[3]

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.[4] ‘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.

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]

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]

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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