Senior BJP leader and former Minister Eknath Khadse — who has gone ahead and filed his nomination for the State Assembly polls despite his name not figuring in the first list of 125 candidates released by his party — does not seem to be in a mood to relent. He has indicated that if denied the party ticket, he would turn a rebel in the polls. A day after he filed his nomination from his home constituency of Muktai Nagar in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, Khadse told local media persons on Wednesday: “If I am denied ticket by my party, people are with me. I also expect co-operation from you (media)”.
57-year-old Khadse, who has gone into sulking mood ever since his name did not figure in the first list of party candidates released by the BJP on Tuesday, said: “I have been working honestly for the party for the last 42 years. Never once have I betrayed the party, despite the fact that I received offers from other political parties. Because of allegations made against me by some people, I was kept out of the State Cabinet for three years despite my having done anything wrong” “I will definitely ask my party leaders as to what wrong have I done that I am being treated this way. I would also like to ask them as to who has poisoned their minds against me,” Khadse said. Displaying his show of strength, Khadse went in a huge procession and filed his nomination from Muktainagar constituency. “In case, my name figures in the second list of candidates, I will file another nomination,” he had, after filing the nomination.
It may be recalled that on June 4, 2016, Khadse had resigned from his post as the State Revenue Minister over irregularities in the purchase of a plot of land at Bhosari in Pune district. Chief Mnister Devendra Fadnavis had then appointed a judicial committee, headed by retired Bombay HC judge Dinkar Zoting, to probe the allegations of corruption against Khadse.
The charge against Khadse was that he, his wife Mandakini and son-in-law Girish Chaudhary had hatched a conspiracy and purchased a 3-acre plot of land at Bhosri near Pune owned Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in the name of his kin for Rs 3.75 crore as against the market price of Rs 40 crore.