'Didn't want to contest LS polls, sought to work in Maharashtra,' BJP candidate Pankaja Munde says

Pankaja Munde. File Pic

The BJP's Beed Lok Sabha candidate Pankaja Munde on Friday said she did not want to contest general elections and wanted to work in Maharashtra. Munde, who was given a rousing welcome in Dhamangaon after entering Beed from neighbouring Ahmednagar district, said people of the state love her and "I had to take decisions with intellect", reported news wire PTI.

Speaking with the media, Pankaja said that people thought her shop would be closed after she lost 2019 state assembly polls from Parli constituency. But her political career won't end in such a manner as math of votes in politics works differently, she said.

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Pankaja is nominated for Lok Sabha from Beed constituency by dropping her sister, sitting MP Pritam Munde. Both the sister have been expressing confidence that the Beed constituency will be led by Munde itself. Notably, the political dynamics in the Munde family has changed now, as in 2019 Pankaja lost the Parli seat to her cousin, Dhananjay Munde from NCP. However, not Dhananjay as part of NCP's Ajit Pawar faction is in the alliance with the BJP.

Pankaja been sidelined from Maharashtra state politics since her 2019 lost, and there were speculations that she would join Shiv Sena. She had also expressed that there were no seats left in the state for her after the three-party government was formed. Her nomination for Lok Sabha from Beed came as a surprise for many.

Pankaja is daughter of veteran BJP leader late Gopinath Munde, and has support from Other Backward Class (OBC) voters in the state and her constituency.

As per PTI report, speaking earlier, Munde said it is unfortunate if her caste is brought up during campaigning. "I never saw the caste of people while doing their work. I gave crores in funds to even those villages where voting for me was negligible. I just see my opponent as my competitor from another party," Munde said.

After starting my Beed Lok Sabha campaign if my caste is brought up then it is unfortunate, she told reporters. While defending the rights of the OBCs, protecting Maratha community is also my duty. I have never taken the stage over caste, so people of all communities have faith in me," she claimed.