Mumbai: Ruling Maha Yuti-NDA ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha has been allocated the Parbhani seat of Maharashtra with the party’s founder and veteran Dhangar leader Mahadev Jankar set to contest and make another attempt to enter the Lok Sabha.
The RSP has been allocated the seat from the quota of NCP.
A few days ago, Jankar, a BJP-sponsored MLC, who was eyeing the Madha seat and hobnobbing with NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, returned to Maha Yuti and had a meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
Jankar and state NCP president Sunil Tatkare made the announcement on Saturday in Mumbai.
Currently, Sanjay Jadhav of Shiv Sena (UBT) represents the Parbhani seat - and in 2019, he had defeated Rajesh Vitekar of NCP.
Jankar was keen on Madha and Parbhani - and since the BJP has already named sitting MP Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar from Madha, Jankar settled for Parbhani.
Jankar started his political career by joining BSP under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. Later, he became the chief of Yashwant Sena, a cultural organisation. In 2003, he founded the political party RSP.
In 2009, he contested the Madha seat and was in third position. In 2014, he contested the Baramati seat against Supriya Sule and lost.
When the Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena dispensation came to power, he was made the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Department.
Published 30 March 2024, 14:17 IST