Arjun Khotkar’s withdrawal paves way for Raosaheb Danve to contest Jalna Lok Sabha poll

  • | Tuesday | 19th March, 2019

He added that he would help Khotkar during the Assembly elections.According to sources, the closed-door meeting between Danve, Khotkar, Fadnavis and Thackeray did not involve any negotiations. The Jalna district is known for strong ties with the saffron alliance and this identity will remain,” Danve said. The BJP and Shiv Sena have forged an alliance now and all the bitterness has to come to an end. But in 2009, the State BJP chief suffered a scare after Kalyan Kale of the Congress put up a tough fight, only to lose by a narrow margin of just over 8,484 votes. Many observers said Danve was hinting at Khotkar's possible elevation into the state cabinet.

AURANGABAD: Shiv Sena MLA and Minister of State, Arjun Khotkar, announced on Sunday he was withdrawing his demand to campaign for the Jalna Lok Sabha seat, from where he was keen to take on state BJP chief, Raosaheb Danve.The decision was announced by Khotkar during a public rally attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Udhhav Thackeray here. In fact, the Sena veteran spoke to the CM and the Sena chief at a closed-door meeting a few hours before the rally on Sunday.Khotkar, a four-time MLA from Jalna, said he didn't wish to "betray" the alliance partner."Udhhavji made me realise the true meaning of a political alliance. I will abide by the decision of our party chief as I'm a staunch Shiv Sainik. I will not betray the alliance partner,” he said. Khotkar went on to say the BJP state chief can now focus on his campaign.Later, during his address at the same rally, Danve said Khotkar would be “compensated” once the saffron alliance comes into power. Many observers said Danve was hinting at Khotkar's possible elevation into the state cabinet. “He (Khotkar) and me have been caught in a tussle for the past couple of years. But it was not a rivalry. The BJP and Shiv Sena have forged an alliance now and all the bitterness has to come to an end. The Jalna district is known for strong ties with the saffron alliance and this identity will remain,” Danve said. He added that he would help Khotkar during the Assembly elections.According to sources, the closed-door meeting between Danve, Khotkar, Fadnavis and Thackeray did not involve any negotiations. The alliance top brass had simply asked the Sena MLA to abide by the rules of the alliance, to which Khotkar agreed, sources said.During his speech at the rally, Fadnavis referred to the Mahabharata while commenting on the Danve-Khotkar relationship. “Lord Udhhav has to guide Arjuna before any epic battle,” he said. Thackeray, meanwhile, said Khotkar would never go down the wrong path as he was a staunch Sena man.Danve, who is eyeing fifth term as MP from the Jalna Lok Sabha constituency, is set to face a tough contest this election season.Besides the anti-incumbency factor, the senior BJP leader will be up against candidates from the Congress-NCP team and the Prahar Janshakti Party, led by Achalpur MLA Bacchu Kadu. Even if Khotkar has changed his mind, it remains to be seen just how much he's ready to support Danve during the campaign.In 2014, Danve had defeated Vilas Autade of the Congress by a margin of 2,06,798 votes. But in 2009, the State BJP chief suffered a scare after Kalyan Kale of the Congress put up a tough fight, only to lose by a narrow margin of just over 8,484 votes. Congress could field Kale again from Jalna to end Danve's winning streak.Currently, Congress MLA Abdul Sattar, who heads the party’s Aurangabad district unit, is in the race for the Jalna seat, but everyone's still waiting for Congress to release the official list of candidates.Recent trends have also impacted Danve's chances. The Congress had swept through the recently-held Municipal Council polls for Sillod in Aurangabad district, which falls within the ambit of the Jalna Lok Sabha seat - winning 24 of the 26 seats. The victories have boosted the party's morale.

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