BJP Ally to Join Hands Sharad Pawar’s Party
Mumbai: While the BJP has decided to add Raj Thackeray-led MNS as its alliance partner for the Lok Sabha polls, it is about to lose its other ally Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP) in Maharashtra. The Mahadev Jankar-led RSP, which enjoys considerable clout in the Dhangar (shepherd) community, is about to end its ties with the saffron party and join hands with the Sharad Pawar’s NCP.
Jankar is miffed with the BJP for declaring its candidate from the Madha Lok Sabha seat without taking him into confidence. “The BJP does not need me now,” he said on Wednesday in Pune.
The BJP, which declared 20 candidates from Maharashtra in its first list, has renominated Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar from the Madha LS constituency. Jankar had announced that the RSP was interested in contesting Madha and Parbhani Lok Sabha constituencies.
Jankar met NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar in Pune and demanded that Madha seat should be allotted to RSP in the Lok Sabha polls. After meeting Pawar at his residence, he said that the discussion was positive.
“I want Madha and Parbhani Lok Sabha constituencies (for RSP). But the BJP has already declared a candidate for Madha without holding any discussion with me. This means I am not required now. The BJP didn’t invite me for any NDA meeting,” he said.
According to sources, Pawar had assured Jankar of the Madha seat. NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil said that Jankar has been in touch with Pawar. “Individual seats will be declared by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents once the seat adjustments are finalised,” he said.
Jankar had contested the Baramati Lok Sabha seat against Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule in 2014, but was defeated by nearly 70,000 votes. A member of Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad since 2015, he was a minister of animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries department in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.
Madha Lok Sabha constituency came into existence in 2008 after delimitation. The first election from this seat was won by Sharad Pawar in 2009. In 2014, the NCP (undivided) retained this seat with Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil defeating Sadabhau Khot, an NDA candidate.
Parbhani Lok Sabha constituency in Marathwada region is Shiv Sena bastion. Sitting MP Sanjay Jadhav is a loyalist of Uddhav Thackeray.