30 March,2024 06:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mahadev Jankar. Pic/X
The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday announced the candidature of Mahadev Jankar for upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, a leader of Mahayuti ally RSP, from Parbhani constituency in Maharashtra, reported the PTI.
Talking to reporters, NCP state unit president Sunil Tatkare said the Parbhani seat is part of the NCP quota and has been allotted to Mahadev Jankar, as per the PTI.
Mahadev Jankar, who was present at the joint press conference, said he had demanded two constituencies from the BJP-led NDA and got one- Parbhani.
According to Mahadev Jankar, he had sought three seats from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) but was promised only one (Madha) constituency from the quota of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), according to the PTI.
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Mahadev Jankar had met Sharad Pawar recently and expressed his displeasure over the saffron party declaring its candidate from the Madha Lok Sabha seat without taking him into confidence.
Interestingly, he changed his mind and vowed to remain with the ruling Mahayuti alliance after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) and Ajit Pawar (NCP) met him, the news agency reported on Saturday.
Mahadev Jankar heads the Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP) which has pockets of influence in the Dhangar (shepherd) community, especially in the Marathwada region.
The Ajit Pawar-led NCP has so far officially declared the candidature of Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil and Sunil Tatkare from Shirur and Raigad constituencies, respectively.
Parbhani Lok Sabha constituency has remained loyal to Shiv Sena.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has renominated sitting MP Sanjay Jadhav from this constituency.
Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar camp on Saturday said it has filed a complaint with the Election Commission against the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena for violating the Representation of the People Act and poll code by publishing the names of individuals from other parties as their star campaigners, the PTI reported.
The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, also comprising Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress.
"We have filed a complaint to the Election Commission of India regarding the gross violations by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and the Bharatiya Janata Party of the Representation of People Act and the Model Code of Conduct," the Sharad Pawar-led party posted on its official handle X (formerly Twitter).
(with PTI inputs)
