Khopde Gets NIT Trustee Post After Cabinet Snub
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Nagpur: Ahead of the Maharashtra cabinet expansion, there was strong buzz surrounding East Nagpur's veteran BJP leader and four-time MLA Krishna Khopde, with many expecting his elevation to a ministerial role.
After securing the highest victory margin in Vidarbha this time, he was felicitated in Mumbai by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, when the final list of ministers was released, Khopde's name was absent once again, which was widely seen as 'political neglect'.
In what appears to be a face-saving move, the BJP has now appointed Khopde as a trustee of Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) — a body he himself publicly demanded be dissolved multiple times in the state assembly.
Originally set up during the British era for city planning, NIT was expected to be scrapped after the formation of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). During Fadnavis's earlier tenure as CM, the govt initiated a phased dismantling of NIT. But after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) govt came to power, the decision was overturned and the trust was reinstated. With the Mahayuti govt now back in power, BJP MLA Pravin Datke and Khopde both renewed their demand to scrap NIT during the ongoing Assembly sessions.
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Ironically, Khopde — who had called for its dissolution — has now been made one of its trustees, triggering sharp political commentary over the BJP's internal power dynamics.
Khopde is known in political circles as a 'giant killer', having defeated senior Congress leader and former guardian minister Satish Chaturvedi in what was once considered a Congress stronghold in East Nagpur. Khopde was only a corporator, and his victory was seen as a major upset.
Despite his strong grassroot base, Khopde was repeatedly overlooked for ministerial roles. In 2014, he even offered to vacate his seat for Nitin Gadkari to become CM — a move seen as politically overzealous and one that may have worked against him within party ranks, said political experts.
While the NIT trustee position holds administrative significance, it lacks political clout and visibility of a cabinet post — leading many to see this as a consolation prize rather than a genuine reward for loyalty and electoral success.
Khopde, though holding no new official post, said he continues to work with NIT and has been given added responsibilities. He has formed a five-member committee to clear long-pending reservation corrections and encroachments within a year. Another panel will tackle smaller, overlooked reservations. He also highlighted a new order to regularize Gunthewari layouts, protecting plot holders from extortion and enabling regulation based on valid agreements and NIT records.
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