Kirit Somaiya Claims Ordinary Party Workers Should Have More Influence Than Top BJP Leaders

Mumbai, 12th September 2024: BJP leader Kirit Somaiya asserted on Wednesday that he has demonstrated that an ordinary party worker should hold more influence than Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

This statement came a day after Somaiya declined the role offered to him by the party for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, claiming he should have been consulted beforehand. He labelled the treatment he received as “insulting” in his letter to Raosaheb Danve, the head of the party’s state election campaign committee.

In an interview with a regional news outlet, Somaiya explained, “I am not seeking any position. Both Bawankule and Fadnavis know how diligently I have worked for the party. My actions have proven that the influence of an ordinary worker should be greater than that of Fadnavis and Bawankule.”

Somaiya recalled an instance from a 2019 press conference where Uddhav Thackeray reportedly insisted on not attending if Somaiya was present, leading Fadnavis to ask Somaiya to leave. Since then, Somaiya claimed he has continued to work diligently without holding a formal position, emphasizing that he is focused on his contributions rather than titles.

Regarding Somaiya’s rejection of the committee role, Bawankule described him as a senior leader and mentioned that the party typically assigns roles without prior consultation. Bawankule noted that his appointment as state chief was made without prior discussion with him.