Days after meeting Sharad Pawar, Dhangar leader Jankar says he will remain with saffron fold

In a U-turn, Rashtriya Samaj Party chief Mahadev Jankar on Sunday vowed to remain with the ruling saffron alliance-Mahayuti- in Maharashtra, days after he met NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar who asked him to contest from the Madha Lok Sabha constituency. The apparent change of heart happened after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis (BJP) and Ajit Pawar (NCP) met Jankar, who belongs to the Dhangar (shepherd) community.

Notably, after meeting Sharad Pawar in Pune on Wednesday, Jankar expressed displeasure over the saffron party declaring its candidate from the Madha Lok Sabha seat without taking him into confidence.

He had told reporters that the discussion was positive.

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 Modi in development and hence Jankar will continue to be with the Mahayuti. 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 Mahayuti 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.

Jankar, who contested the Baramati Lok Sabha seat against Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule in 2014, wields influence among the Dhangar community in western Maharashtra.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)