In a recent interview with a Marathi channel Mumbai Tak, BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, who has been demanding the resignation of ally and NCP minister Dhanajay Munde over his alleged link to the Beed sarpanch murder case, compared himself to Sanjay Singhania — the protagonist in the 2008 film Ghajini starring Aamir Khan. Despite suffering from “short-term memory loss”, Dhas said, the Ghajini character embarked on a quest for “justice” to take on those responsible for a “brutal murder”. Dhas indicated that he has similarly positioned himself in real life. A political storm has encircled the Devendra Fadnavis-led government following the Beed sarpanch murder case in which Dhananjay’s close associate Walmik Karad has surrendered to the police. Amidst this, Dhas has been leading the call for Dhananjay’s resignation. He was also the only BJP MLA in the all-party meeting that met Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan recently to demand Dhananjay’s removal from the Cabinet. This has caused much embarrassment to the BJP and the Fadnavis government, which is facing its first big test since coming to power in November 2024. Dhas’s unrelenting attacks against an ally has raised eyebrows, with many questioning why the BJP leadership has given him space to fuel a crisis gripping the party-led state government. For some, Dhas's actions are seen as part of a “strategy” of a BJP section to curb the influence of the Munde family in Beed. Rise as a Beed player Born to a farm labourer in Jamgaon, which is in the Ashti tehsil of Beed district, Dhas was drawn to political activism early on. In his early days, he aligned himself with Sahebrao Darekar, a Left-leaning figure who became an Independent MLA in 1995. Dhas was part of a camp against Gopinath Munde — a former BJP MLA, Union minister, and Dhananjay’s uncle. Dhas shifted allegiance in 1997, and became close to late Gopinath Munde who was one of the tallest BJP leaders in Beed. Dhas eventually secured a BJP ticket from the Ashli Assembly seat in the 1999 polls. He went on to win the seat one more time in 2004. However, the BJP’s fortunes waned in Maharashtra after the formation of the Congress-NCP government in 1999. This was also coupled with the diminishing of Gopinath Munde’s influence. In 2009, Dhas switched to the NCP and won that year’s Assembly polls from Ashti again. He also went on to become a Minister of State. It was during this period that Dhas forged a relationship with Dhananjay Munde, who defected from the BJP to the NCP in 2013. Dhas also unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election against Gopinath Munde as an NCP candidate. In this election, Dhas and Dhananjay worked to defeat Munde senior. But Gopinath Munde won the seat. Dhas went on to maintain a cordial relationship with Dhananjay, but the latter’s rapid rise within the NCP, including his elevation to Leader of the Opposition's post in the state Legislative Council, caused unease among several party leaders in Beed. In the wake of his electoral setbacks, Dhas began distancing himself from the NCP and became closer to the BJP. He played a pivotal role in helping the BJP win local body elections, which ultimately led to his expulsion from the NCP in 2017. At the time, Dhas said he felt stifled by Dhananjay's leadership in Beed and began aligning with Gopinath’s daughter Pankaja Munde who had political rivalry with Dhananjay. In 2018, Dhas was brought back into the BJP fold and given a seat in the Legislative Council. But the situation within the BJP had changed. Dhananjay and Pankaja reconciled, creating a precarious situation for Dhas. Concerned about his political future and determined not to let the Mundes dominate Beed's political landscape, Dhas is believed to have withheld support to the family during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This, observers say, was one of the reasons behind Pankaja’s loss in the polls. In the 2024 Assembly polls, however, Dhas managed to secure a BJP ticket and won the election by a margin of over 77,000 votes. This came despite the Munde family backing an Independent candidate against him. Subsequently, the Munde cousins — Dhananjay and Pankaja — were appointed as ministers in the Devendra Fadnavis government. This again pointed towards their influence in Beed. But the sarpanch murder case provided an opportunity for Dhas to show his own influence in Beed. The brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, a sarpanch from Beed’s Massajog, was allegedly orchestrated by Dhananjay's aide Karad due to a dispute arising out of an extortion attempt. Dhas quickly emerged as a leading voice of the public outrage against Deshmukh’s murder. He raised the issue in the winter session of the state Assembly, pinning the blame on Dhananjay and calling for his resignation. On a daily basis, Dhas started targeting Dhananjay, accusing him of allegedly consolidating control over the administration in Beed district and attempting to turn it into his "personal fiefdom". He has also levelled accusations of “favouritism” in administrative postings within Beed which, he alleged, favoured the Vanjari community to which the Mundes belong. While he has targeted Dhananjay over his relationship with Karad, Dhas, too, has had past dealings with the accused. He has, however, maintained that his current agitation is not politically motivated. “I may have spoken to them, but the way Deshmukh was killed is a blot on humanity. There is no politics involved in this agitation. This is purely a fight for justice for a man who was killed brutally,” Dhas said.
