Maharashtra: Dhangar leader Mahadev Jankar joins Mahayuti

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 24 (ANI): Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) chief Mahadev Jankar joined Mahayuti in Maharashtra in the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis.

Jankar, who contested the Baramati Lok Sabha seat against Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule in 2014, wields influence among the Dhangar community in western Maharashtra.
A joint statement was issued on Sunday after Shinde, Ajit Pawar, and Fadnavis met Jankar, stating that it was decided that one parliamentary seat would be allocated to Jankar's party.
BJP MLC Prasad Lad, while speaking about the same, said, "I welcome the decision of Rashtriya Samaj Party leader Mahadev Jankar to join NDA. The CM and both the Deputy CMs have said about giving one Lok Sabha seat to him and a letter has also been given to him for the same."
Maharashtra NCP president Sunil Tatkare while welcoming Jankar said that his support would prove to be good for the alliance in the state.
"In a meeting attended by Rashtriya Samaj Party founder Mahadev Jankar, CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and myself as the NCP state president where Mahadev Jankar announced again to support the NDA. 48 seats that the NDA will contest in the entire state, his support will be good for us. We would like to tell the people of Maharashtra that we are contesting together to strengthen PM Modi. After 2 days a press conference will be held where we will talk about the seat-sharing."
Incidentally, Jankar had met Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar earlier this week in Pune.
The first election from this seat was won by Sharad Pawar in 2009, almost a year after it came into existence following delimitation. In 2014, the NCP (undivided) retained this seat with Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil defeating Sadabhau Khot, an NDA candidate. (ANI)