BJP saw Pravin Mahajan as a nuisance

Mumbai: There was neither shock nor sympathy at the state BJP headquarters in South Mumbai as news of Pravin Mahajan’s death filtered in. Senior politicians heard the report with indifference, though it did reopen a few wounds.

Some said the party had decided to stay out of the Pramod-Pravin controversy. “Ever since we lost Pramodji on May 3, 2006, our relationship with his killer brother Pravin ended,” one senior politician said.

Pravin’s veiled threat to “expose” BJP leaders was hanging like the proverbial sword over the party’s head. The murder and the negative publicity that followed not only cast a cloud on the image of the late Pramod Mahajan among the party faithful but also gave fodder to the BJP’s opponents.

“For the past four years Pravin was a nuisance for the party,” the politician said. “His tirades through his book and media interviews were aimed at undermining our leadership, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, and Gopinath Munde.”