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Nilesh Lanke sides with Sharad Pawar; Ajit says Parner MLA will have to face disqualification
Lanke is likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Ahmednagar constituency as a nominee of NCP (SCP)
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator from Parner in Ahmednagar district sided with NCP (SCP) as he met its president Sharad Pawar on Thursday and also held the party’s symbol of man blowing trumpet. While Nilesh Lanke was expected to officially announce his joining the NCP (SCP), the Parner MLA said he was never distanced from the ideology of Pawar senior.
Lanke is likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Ahmednagar constituency as a nominee of NCP (SCP). If he enters into the poll fray, Lanke will lock horns with Bharatiya Janata Party nominee Sujay Vikhe Patil.
After meeting Sharad Pawar at the party office in Pune, Lanke said, while he had come to visit senior Pawar for the launch of the book he wrote on experiences during Covid, he was always with Pawar senior and will continue to be so.
“I have always subscribed to the ideology of Sharad Pawar. For me, the ideology and party are same and I never went away from that.” When asked if he is planning to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Ahmednagar, Lanke said, decision on this will be taken by seniors in the party.
The Parner MP was among the initial few MLAs seen with Ajit Pawar when the latter rebelled against his uncle in July 2023. He had also submitted an affidavit about his loyalties with Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Pawar senior too praised Lanke and said he has been working hard to give justice to voters of Parner.
“During Covid and in later years, Lanke took various measures for Parner residents. Currently, there is water scarcity in Parner and he is working on it,” Sharad Pawar said.
Reacting to Lanke’s possible entry into the Sharad Pawar-led party, Ajit cautioned the Parner legislator with an advice to think twice about disqualification before switching sides.
“I have an advice and request for Lanke to consider all sides. There is a law of disqualification if someone takes another stand against the party,” Ajit Pawar said in Baramati. According to Ajit, Lanke had some issues with local leadership of NCP ally.
“Lanke had some issue with a minister from Ahmednagar district. I spoke with Lanke and assured him about discussing the issue with chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis,” he said.
Lanke is known to be a detractor of BJP leader and revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil in local politics. As the BJP announced Vikhe-Patil’s son Sujay’s name for Ahmednagar, some of his detractors are joining hands.
