Eknath Khadse the strong BJP leader has been replaced by his daughter Rohini Khadse from the Muktainagar seat in Jalgaon district
Mumbai: On late Wednesday night BJP announced its fourth list of candidates for upcoming assembly elections. Senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse’s patience seemed to be running very thin unable to find a mention of his name in any of the lists.
Within some time, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar cancelled one of his rallies to meet Khadse. This soon sparked several rumours across the state. Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said that the BJP has been partial towards Khadse. Bhujbal said that Khadse has done so many things for the party but the party did not recognize it. “We will welcome him if he decides to join the NCP,” said Chhagan Bhujbal.
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar echoed Bhujbal’s sentiments but refrained from commenting on whether Khadse was on his way to switching loyalty.
For BJP the Leva-Patil community holds much importance and Khadse has been the party’s point person for years in getting the group’s support. But with senior cabinet minister Girish Mahajan’s growing clout in north Maharashtra, Khadse seemed to be losing his stature in the saffron camp.
विधानसभा निवडणूक २०१९ भारतीय जनता पार्टीच्या अधिकृत उमेदवारांची यादी क्र. ४@Dev_Fadnavis@ChDadaPatil#पुन्हा_आणूया_आपले_सरकार pic.twitter.com/dHfNwWJ4j9
— भाजपा महाराष्ट्र (@BJP4Maharashtra) October 4, 2019
Eknath Khadse, the strong contenders for the chief minister’s post in 2014, has been replaced by his daughter Rohini Khadse from the Muktainagar seat in Jalgaon district.
Maharashtra minister Vinod Tawde’s name is also missing from the list. BJP has fielded Sunil Rane from Tawde’s Borivali seat. There are speculations that Tawde may be adjusted to Legislative Council
Sources said, Khadse is hopeful to get an AB form for the party. Reportedly, If the party gives the AB form to his daughter, he will withdraw his nomination. “However, he is currently very upset. Despite that, he hasn’t filed his nomination as an Independent candidate,” said sources.
On the other hand, Khadse’s agitated supporters have urged him to leave the party. “I am the worker who follows orders of the party. I have obeyed the party over the past 40-42 years. The orders may have been bitter for me, against my will, but I have followed the orders,” said Khadse.
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