Gopinath Munde, BJP general secretary and MP from Beed, was on Monday appointed deputy leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. BJP Parliamentary Party chairman LK Advani also re-appointed SS Ahluwalia as deputy leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha. Ramesh Bais and Maya Singh have been re-appointed as party chief whips in the two Houses of Parliament.

A former Maharashtra deputy CM, Munde, a Vanjari leader (a denotified tribe, but considered an OBC community in Maharashtra), and a long-standing rival of Nitin Gadkari, has been involved in every policy decision in the BJP at the Centre ever since Gadkari?s name for the post of party president was finalised.

Another party general secretary, Ananth Kumar, too, was in the reckoning for the post but his claim was ignored in favour of Munde for two reasons. One, the BJP is top heavy with Brahmin leaders, with the leaders of Opposition in the two Houses and the national party president belonging to the Brahmin community. The party could not afford to have another Brahmin as deputy leader of Opposition in LS. Two, the Maharashtra balancing act had to be replicated at the Centre after Gadkari?s elevation as the party president.

While Munde had earned flak ?for promoting family members in politics? in the recent elections in Maharashtra, he is known to be a passionate crusader for farmers? rights. He has also promoted causes like a private sector quota for Dalits.

Gadkari?s stamp on party decisions, meanwhile, is already becoming visible. His call for ?return of party leaders like KN Govindacharya, Kalyan Singh, and Uma Bharti, who left the party due to various reasons??was seconded by some party leaders today. Uttar Pradesh BJP leader Kalraj Mishra has strongly backed Gadkari?s statement, saying that ?all those who had left the BJP should be brought back?.

Gadkari, who has made all the right noises so far?including reaching out to Muslims and Dalits?will address his first full-length press conference as party president here on December 24. The central BJP has been distributing a coffee table book on Gadkari, titled ?The Path to Progress? listing his ?achievements?. The book touts the Mumbai-Pune expressway, and Mumbai?s flyovers as Gadkari?s achievements when he was PWD minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government?an indication that ?development? will be the main thrust of Gadkari?s public pronouncements.