Khadse’s influence looms large over Mahayuti in Jalgaon, BJP says nothing no worry

Nashik: NCP (SCP) MLC Eknath Khadse has the potential to damage the prospects of Mahayuti nominees in at least five constituencies in Jalgaon district, said senior Mahayuti sources. Speaking to TOI, a senior Mahayuti functionary said in constituencies like Muktainagar, Raver, Bhusawal, Jalgaon Rural, and Jalgaon City, there are over 40,000-50,000 voters of the Leva Patil community, one that Khadse belongs to.Jalgaon district is Khadse's home turf, and he was instrumental in strengthening BJP's base in the district during his four-decade association with the party. "A sizeable section of the Leva Patil voters in these constituencies are still staunch Kadse supporters. Since he is campaigning for MVA nominees in this election, he can cause damage to the Mahayuti nominees in these seats. Mahayuti candidates have to focus more on wooing the Leva Patil community voters," added the Mahayuti functionary.This is the first time Khadse is campaigning against Mahayuti, including BJP, since his relationship with the party soured in 2019. He quit the party in 2020. In the 2019 assembly polls, although BJP denied him the ticket, Khadse did not campaign against the party since his daughter, Rohini, contested unsuccessfully on a BJP ticket from the Muktainagar seat. Even in recent Lok Sabha polls, although his plans to rejoin BJP did not materialise, he refrained from campaigning against Mahayuti since his daughter-in-law and Union minister, Raksha Khadse, contested on a BJP ticket from the Raver constituency.Khadse's political foe and BJP heavyweight from Jalgaon, Girish Mahajan, rubbished speculations that Khadse would damage the prospects of Mahayuti candidates in the five constituencies. Mahajan said despite Khadse's campaign in 2019 in Muktainagar for Rohini, she was defeated by Sena-backed independent, Chandrakant Patil."He (Khadse) is a spent force in Maharashtra politics. Even when he was in BJP, he could not garner the support of the voters of his community in the district during previous polls. We have got young promising Leva Patil caste functionaries in Jalgaon like Sanjay Savakare, the BJP sitting MLA from, Raver BJP nominee Amol Jawale and others who are hugely popular in that community," said Mahajan.
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