Nilesh Lanke returns to Sr Pawar, sparks talk of LS contest

MLA Nilesh Lanke

A Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) legislator from Parner in Ahmednagar, Nilesh Lanke, has returned to party founder Sharad Pawar, who heads the rival faction. Lanke met Pawar and other senior leaders at the NCP-SP office in Pune and reiterated his loyalty to the octogenarian.

The defection came on the day the Supreme Court observed that the Ajit Pawar faction should not use Sharad Pawar's name and picture in official matters and events. The nephew who broke away last summer from the uncle has been given the party's original name and symbol. "I have always been with Pawar saheb and I have always followed his ideology," said Lanke, the first-ever from the ruling group to switch sides. When asked whether he had officially shifted, he said, "Ideology and party are the same."

Lanke said he was there to request Pawar senior to grace the release of his book, a compilation of his experiences during the pandemic. The NCP made it a formal event when Lanke, Sharad Pawar and Jayant Patil jointly addressed the media, confirming that the MLA's visit had a specific purpose. To avoid a legal hurdle like disqualification, neither Lanke nor Pawar said it was an event to induct the MLA in the NCP fold.

The MLA went to the Pune office to meet Sharad Pawar despite Ajit Pawar's ultimatum on Thursday morning that "Lanke will lose his membership of the Assembly if he takes any wrong step. He will be disqualified if the party takes action against him".

To contest Lok Sabha?

An insider said that Lanke would be the Maha Vikas Aghadi's candidate in the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency. He was expecting the segment to go to the NCP-AP, but the BJP retained it and fielded its sitting MP Dr Sujay Vikhe Patil. Ajit Pawar also said that Lanke was being lured away with a Lok Sabha candidature.

Lanke said he had not talked about the ticket, but said he would do as directed by Sharad Pawar. Till the last elections, the Congress had been fielding its candidate in Ahmednagar. This year, it may go to the NCP-SP for seat-sharing. MVA proposes to put up a strong challenge to Patil who will be attempting his second term.

Pawar said he was with Lanke because the MLA had a great connection with the people. "We always back those who work for the people and are responsible. I don't need to say anything more than this," he said while pledging his support.