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Lanke becomes first MLA to return to senior Pawar
He announced his decision after speaking to his supporters who had gathered in his constituency, Parner in Ahmednagar district
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Mumbai In a jolt to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, his party’s MLA Nilesh Lanke on Friday announced his resignation as MLA and said he would be returning to Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SCP). He also said he would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Ahmednagar opposite BJP MP Sujay Vikhe-Patil, son of senior BJP leader and state revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil. Lanke is the first MLA to return to senior Pawar after the split in the party in July last year.
He announced his decision after speaking to his supporters who had gathered in his constituency, Parner in Ahmednagar district. He also apologized to the people for resigning as their MLA. “I cannot explain how I am feeling now but we are bound to make some bitter decisions… You elected me for five years and I want to apologize that I am resigning from the position four months before the polls,” Lanke said. While reading out his resignation, he even had to stop his speech for a few minutes as he was overcome by emotion.
Encouraged by his supporters, who raised slogans in his support, he said, “I will now work under the leadership of (Sharad) Pawar saheb. We caused him grief (by splitting his party) and it’s time to pay him back by working under him. I will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Ahmednagar,” said the one-term MLA.
Lanke would be contesting against Sujay Vikhe Patil, BJP MP from the constituency. The Vikhe-Patil clan is politically influential and call the shots in the politics of the district. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil was a senior Congress leader and opposition leader in state assembly when he quit the party and joined the BJP ahead of 2019 elections.
Lanke targeted Sujay for corruption and for not working for the people. “He went to Amit Shah to beg for an election ticket but told the people that he met the union home minister demanding withdrawal of export ban on onions. Show me one of his addresses where he raised farmers issues in Parliament. He has been involved in bullying,” he said, slamming the BJP MP.
Lanke, who had sided with Ajit Pawar after the split in NCP, would be carrying out a march ‘Swabhiman Jan Samvad Yatra’ to reach out to the masses across the constituency from April 1.
Lanke could give a tough fight to Sujay, his supporters feel as he has a good reputation in Ahmednagar. During Covid-19, he was praised for establishing a 1,100-bed Covid jumbo centre where patients were treated for free.
With the inclusion of Lanke, three of the six assembly constituencies of the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency are with the NCP (SP). The other two are: Rohit Pawar (Karjat-Jamkhed) and Prajakt Tanpure (Rahuri). Ahmednagar City MLA Sangram Jagtap is with Ajit Pawar’s NCP. The other two MLAs Babanrao Pachpute (Shrigonda) and Monika Rajale (Shevgaon) are from BJP.
Boost for Pawar Sr
Amar Kale, a former Congress MLA from Wardha district, joined NCP (SCP) on Friday evening. The two-term legislator from Arvi assembly constituency is likely to be the party’s candidate from Wardha Lok Sabha seat. NCP (SCP) is likely to get the seat in the seat-sharing pact in MVA. NCP (SCP) is likely to declare its first list of candidates on Saturday.
