MUMBAI: NCP (SP) MLC Eknath Khadse on Sunday claimed that union home minister Amit Shah had made him an offer to join the BJP before the Lok Sabha polls. Without naming his immediate rival Girish Mahajan, he said that “local politicians” from his area opposed this.
Khadse began his political career with the BJP and helped the party expand in North Maharashtra. He had to resign in 2016 amid a string of corruption charges, with a non-bailable arrest warrant pertaining to those charges issued against him five months ago. In October 2020, he joined the undivided NCP, proclaiming that the then deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was out to finish his political career.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Khadse said that Shah had called him to Delhi. “I was told to join the BJP before the parliamentary elections,” he said. “Girish Mahajan now says that he did not oppose my entry. But top people in the BJP told me that “local leaders” had declared that they would not work for the party and would ensure that the BJP lost the seat.”
Khadse recently had a meeting with BJP MP Vinod Tawde, triggering rumours of his joining the party again. When asked about this on Saturday, Mahajan told the media that Khadse was ready for a ‘ghar wapsi’ (homecoming) and he was too insignificant a person to stop it. Khadse, however, said he was not keen on joining the BJP now although he had worked for 40 years in the party, and many of its leaders were in touch with him. The politician said that he would continue to stay with Sharad Pawar.
{{/usCountry}}Khadse recently had a meeting with BJP MP Vinod Tawde, triggering rumours of his joining the party again. When asked about this on Saturday, Mahajan told the media that Khadse was ready for a ‘ghar wapsi’ (homecoming) and he was too insignificant a person to stop it. Khadse, however, said he was not keen on joining the BJP now although he had worked for 40 years in the party, and many of its leaders were in touch with him. The politician said that he would continue to stay with Sharad Pawar.
{{/usCountry}}Talking about his rival Mahajan, Khadse said that Mahajan was currently in the race for the chief ministership and billboards had been put up in his constituency. “I always helped him till he became a minister,” he said. “No political campaign ended in his constituency without my campaigning. Today, Mahajan has the blessings of the CM, and if these blessings are removed then, he will be nowhere.”
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