Jalgaon (Maharashtra): Senior NCP-SP leader Eknath Khadse, who quit the BJP in 2020 blaming the leadership for its negligence, on Monday announced his retirement from electoral politics, citing health issues.

However, in an emotional appeal to the voters from Muktainagar Assembly seat in Maharashtra, Khadse, who was ready to go ‘ghar wapsi’ to the BJP but abandoned the idea due to lack of official offer, urged the voters to elect his daughter and the NCP. -SP candidate Rohini Khadse is pitted against Shiv Sena candidate Chandrakant Patil.

In the 2019 elections, BJP candidate Rohini Khadse lost to Chandrakant Patil, who was later elected as an Independent.

“I have been in politics for many years. I have stood by the people in good times and bad times, I have helped them all, regardless of their caste or religion. I am not in a very good situation these days. Only God Almighty decides whether I will do it or not. We may or may not see the next election. However, the current I sincerely request you to choose Rohini Khadse in the elections,” Khadse said.

Its appeal comes into play as NCP-SP candidate Rohini Khadse is locked in a fierce battle against Shiv Sena candidate Chandrakant Patil. Meanwhile, Khadse’s daughter-in-law and Union Minister of State Raksha Khadse actively campaigned against her sister-in-law as she appealed to voters to elect MahaYuti candidate Chandrakant Patil.

Eknath Khadse Hints at His Heir Apparent in Politics

By announcing his decision to retire from electoral politics, Khadse also hinted that Rohini Khadse, and not his daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse, is his heir apparent in politics. He also reiterated that coming back to the BJP is a closed page for him and he will stay with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Meanwhile, Rohini Khadse is the president of NCP-SP’s women wing and has also ruled out rejoining the BJP.

About Muktainagar Taluka

Muktainagar taluka has always been a stronghold of the BJP, except for the 2019 elections when former Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Patil won the seat as an Independent, later supported by the NCP (united). In the changing political scenario, Khadse and her daughter rely heavily on the support of NCP-SP, Shiv Sena UBT and Congress cadres. Eknath Khadse, who worked as an OBC leader for over four decades to consolidate the BJP’s position especially in North Maharashtra and other parts of the state, hopes to attract well-wishers even from the BJP.

On the other hand, Chandrakant Patil hopes to monetize the work carried out during his tenure with the strong support of MahaYuti partners. He is also banking on the strong support of Eknath Khadse’s rival and BJP Minister Girish Mahajan and especially the poll machinery of the BJP as well as the Shiv Sena and the NCP. Chandrakant Patil, who ran as an Independent upon the insistence of Prime Minister Eknath Shinde, joined the Shiv Sena and entered the election struggle as the candidate of the Eknath Shinde group. Shinde made Chandrakant Patil’s victory a matter of prestige.

Dispute over Maratha-OBC reservations, lack of job opportunities for locals, water scarcity and problems faced by passengers traveling in State Transport buses are some of the major issues raised during the campaign. Chandrakant Patil downplayed senior Khadse’s dominance in the constituency, saying he would win on the development plan. Rohini Khadse, on the other hand, claimed that she would achieve victory thanks to both the support of the people and her father’s legacy.

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