Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis dominated the executive committee of the BJP’s state unit which has been formed on Friday. Fadnavis has succeeded in getting prominent positions to his supporters in the new committee headed by state president Chandrakant Patil.

Patil released the list of the new executive committee on Friday after consultations with Fadnavis and Organisation Secretary Vijay Puranik at the party headquarters in Mumbai.

Fadnavis supporters Ram Shinde, Jaykumar Rawal, Sanjay Kunte, Prasad Lad, Kapil Patil, Chitra Wagh and Jayprakash Thakur had got a place in the list of 12 Vice Presidents. His former Officer On Special Duty Shrikant Bharatiya and former minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Ravindra Chavan have been made General Secretaries.

Two seniors Eknath Khadse and Vinod Tawde will be special invitees in the state executive committee along with former minister Pankaja Munde. Keshav Upadhye has replaced Madhav Bhandari as Chief Spokesperson. Bhandari is elevated as Vice President. Treasurer Shaina NC has been replaced with Mihir Kotecha.

While interacting with the reporters in BJP office, Patil acknowledged that there were different opinions on the executive members. “Isn’t it a sign that the party believes in democracy?” he asked referring to the different opinions.

There is speculation that Tawde and Munde could be elevated in the national executive under President JP Nadda.

The formation of state executive committee was pending for four months after Patil was re-elected as president in February.