Eknath Khadse dismisses reports of joining NCP, attacks Sharad Pawar

BJP leader Eknath Khadse has declined all the media reports about him planning to join the National Congress Party (NCP) after the saffron party refused him a ticket for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections.

The BJP leader attacked NCP chief Sharad Pawar for allegedly spreading 'false statements', Khadse said, "I have not met either Sharad Pawar or any other leader from his party in the past year, neither have I held talks with them. I do not know why he is giving false statements of me being in touch with him or me fighting on an NCP ticket."

Eknath Khadse's daughter, Rohini Khadse, will be contesting the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections from the Muktainagar seat on a BJP ticket. According to the reports, Sharad Pawar had claimed that BJP's Eknath Khadse has been in touch with him and can possibly join the NCP.

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The senior BJP leader and a seven-time MLA from the State refused all the allegations and said that he is a devoted BJP worker and he would stick to the party no matter what. He said, "I have no knowledge of whether I will be made a Governor or be assigned some other role but I am a dedicated worker of the party and will readily do whatever the BJP asks me to." According to Khadse, when he had held talks with the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis a few months ago, he received an indication that the party already has something planned for him.

"I had held talks with Chief Minister two months back, he had then said that Rohiniji might be given the ticket from my seat as he had some other plans for me. However, a candidate list is going to come out tomorrow, the person whom the party picks will be the final candidate, nothing is final as of yet," Khadse said.

 BJP has released its fourth list of candidates on Friday for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections.

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Maharashtra Elections

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections will happen on October 21, along with Haryana in a single phase. The counting process for the votes for the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections will begin on October 24. BJP-Shiv Sena will be contesting the polls under an alliance. Indian National Congress (INC) and National Congress Party (NCP) have also formed a coalition for the assembly polls in the State.

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