Why RSP move to remain with ruling alliance doesn’t augur well for Supriya Sule in Baramati

The NDA in Maharashtra received a shot in the arm on Sunday (March 24) as Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP) chief Mahadev Jankar did a volte face and vowed to remain with the ruling alliance, days after he met NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar who asked him to contest from the Madha Lok Sabha constituency.

During his meeting with Pawar, Jankar had expressed support for his party in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, while Pawar had reportedly offered him the Madha seat in Solapur district.

The apparent change of heart happened after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar met Jankar, who belongs to the Dhangar (shepherd) community.

A joint statement was issued on Sunday after Shinde, Ajit Pawar, and Fadnavis met Jankar, stating that the country is taking huge strides under PM Narendra Modi in development and hence Jankar will continue to be with the ruling alliance.

In the meeting, it was decided that one parliamentary seat would be allocated to Jankar's party, it added.

Jankar said he would work to ensure the victory of the NDA candidates in Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP, which declared 20 candidates from Maharashtra in its first list, has renominated Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar from the Madha LS constituency.

Trouble for Sule

Jankar’s move may spell trouble for Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule in the family bastion of Baramati which has a substantial Dhangar population.

Though there were media reports earlier that suggested that the ruling alliance may field Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar against Sule in Baramati, speculations are now rife that the BJP strategists may pull off a surprise by pitting Jankar against her. In 2014, Jankar had given a tough fight to Sule who had won the seat by about 70,000 votes. The BJP may like to avert a Pawar vs Pawar battle in Baramati in which Sule may have an advantage of “sympathy vote”.

A former minister and a prominent OBC leader, Jankar wields significant clout among the Dhangar community in western Maharashtra and Marathwada. He was upset at “being sidelined by the ruling alliance” and was in touch with Sharad Pawar for quite some time now for contesting elections from Madha. Had he joined hands with Pawar it would have helped Sule’s poll prospects as well in Baramati.

Meanwhile, BJP sources said Deputy CM Fadnavis has promised Jankar that he would be fielded from Parbhani Lok Sabha constituency and he could field a party colleague from Madha seat.

Madha Lok Sabha constituency came into existence in 2008 after delimitation. The first election from this seat was won by Sharad Pawar in 2009. In 2014, the NCP (undivided) retained this seat with Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil defeating Sadabhau Khot, an NDA candidate.

(With agency inputs)