Maha polls: BJP denies ticket to Khadse, he says won’t leave party

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied a ticket to former revenue minister and senior party leader Eknath Khadse. While the party is yet to release a list of

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied a ticket to former revenue minister and senior party leader Eknath Khadse. While the party is yet to release a list of all its candidates for the Assembly polls, Khadse, a six-term BJP MLA, himself admitted he had been told by party that he would not get candidature from his constituency.

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The BJP has released a list of 143 candidates so far; its third list of four candidates was released on Thursday evening. Besides Khadse, two sitting ministers Vinod Tawde, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, former minister Prakash Mehta and former Mumbai chief Raj Purohit have also so far not been included in the party’s list. Khadse had filed his nomination papers on Tuesday without the BJP’s formal AB form.

By Thursday, the former minister had, however, toned down his reaction to the BJP top brass for sidelining him.

“Some things are beyond my understanding. The party has told me that we can’t give you a ticket, but you suggest a candidate’s name from your constituency. I told them for me all my workers are ‘Eknath Khadse’. I would feel satisfied if I come to know the reason for not giving me the ticket, but I also know that the party’s leadership is not answerable to me,” said Khadse.

He was speaking to his workers from his hometown in Muktainagar in Jalgaon.

The BJP leader also refuted the statement made by Pawar that he was in touch with the NCP leader and said that he would remain loyal to the BJP. “I haven’t met Pawar in the past three years. I haven’t taken any such decision [to join the NCP] and I will not take it,” he said.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in Thane in a press conference said that several BJP leaders like Eknath Khadse are upset with their party. “There is discontent among many leaders, be it Khadse or Vijay Nahata. This discontent is not recent, but has been simmering for the past many years. Many such leaders are in touch with me,” said Pawar

In the BJP circles, there is speculation that Khadse’s daughter Rohini will be asked to contest from her father’s constituency. But it is not yet clear if Khadse is willing to give up the fight or he may take a call to contest as an independent.

Khadse was asked to resign from the state cabinet in 2016 after he faced allegations of graft over purchase of a three-acre industrial plot in Bhosari. The plot had been purchased by Khadse’s wife Mandakini and his son-in-law Girish Choudhary. While the former minister has been given a clean chit in this case by the ACB, the agency’s report has been challenged in the court.

Meanwhile, the BJP released its third list of four candidates, including minister of state Parinay Fuke (Sakoli), former Congress legislator Kashiram Pawara (Shirpur), former Congress MLA Ramesh Thakur (Malad West) and sitting legislator Dr Mallikarjun Reddy (Ramtek).

Fuke, an MLC considered to be close to CM Fadnavis, has been given a chance to contest polls. While Pawara and Thakur both turncoats have been accommodated.

The sidelining of senior leaders in the party is being seen as a signal from the top leadership. While Khadse and Mehta have faced allegations of graft; Bawankule is considered to be from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s camp.

It’s likely that Tawde may be given a MLC ticket, if he doesn’t get candidature.

Even though Tawde and Khadse may not be given tickets to contest the polls, they have been announced as star campaigners for the party during the elections. The party issued a list of 40 star campaigners for the polls including 21 central leaders.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA and son of senior former Congress leader Narayan Rane, Nitesh, joined the BJP on Thursday. Rane is expected to get BJP candidature from Kankavli. Ironically, he was inducted in the party by his rival and former BJP MLA Pramod Jathar. There is still no clarity over whether Narayan Rane will join the BJP. He is currently Rajya Sabha MP from the BJP quota, but has not been formally inducted into the party.