BJP releases list of candidates for MLC elections; Eknath Khadse fails to make the cut

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a list of candidates for the biennial elections for Maharashtra Legislative council scheduled to be held on May 21. Senior BJP leader from Maharashtra Eknath Khadse yet again missed a nomination in the list. This comes despite his public declaration expressing interest to represent the BJP in the MLC elections. 

"I am very much interested in state politics and keen on representing the party in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. I have conveyed this wish to the seniors in my party," Khadse had told reporters back in March. 

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Reports of Khadse being disgruntled by his party's leadership had emerged last year as well during the Maharashtra elections. Khadse has been on tenterhooks with the party after he was denied a ticket from Muktainagar seat during Maharashtra Assembly elections in October, where his daughter, who was fielded in his place eventually lost the seat. 

Thereafter he had accused Devendra Fadnavis and Girish Mahajan of "intentionally" sidelining him during the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Eknath Khadse had said, "I got the information from the BJP core committee that I was intentionally kept aside during elections because Devendra Fadnavis and Girish Mahajan were very upset with me and that is why they sidelined me."

Khadse who has been the former Revenue Minister of the state has been on a cold war with the state party leadership after he was made to resign from former CM Devendra Fadnavis' cabinet over corruption allegations. 

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