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Updated June 20th, 2022 at 23:26 IST

Maha MLC polls: My friends in BJP may have helped me bag extra votes, says NCP's Eknath Khadse

Elated by his victory in the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls after the end of his nearly six-year-old “political exile”, NCP leader Eknath Khadse on Monday said he may have bagged additional votes from his friends in the BJP as his party secured 57 votes, six more than its effective strength of 51

Eknath Khadse
IMAGE: PTI | Image:self
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Elated by his victory in the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls after the end of his nearly six-year-old “political exile”, NCP leader Eknath Khadse on Monday said he may have bagged additional votes from his friends in the BJP as his party secured 57 votes, six more than its effective strength of 51.

Accusing the BJP of making him "homeless" by using the Enforcement Directorate, Khadse said he faced political harassment for the last six years.

“The additional votes I bagged are from my friends in the BJP because the NCP had 51 votes and it received 57 votes. Of these votes, I received 29 votes. This (additional votes) may be from the friends in the BJP,” Khadse, a former BJP leader, said.

The NCP had a total of 51 votes in the MLC polls but bagged 57. Its second candidate Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar polled 28 votes.

One of the key leaders in the BJP, Khadse was pipped by Devendra Fadnavis in 2014 for the post of chief minister. Khadse was made Revenue minister in the Fadnavis cabinet but had to step down over allegations of financial irregularities.

“For the last six years, I have been facing political harassment. Without any reason, I faced different allegations and was forced to resign (as a minister). Over a period of time those allegations proved false but my harassment did not stop there,” Khadse said, adding that a probe was initiated by the ED and his son-in-law was arrested.

“My wife, myself and both my daughters were summoned (by the ED) and my property was seized three weeks back, the ED asked to vacate my home. I was on the verge of going into political exile, but then NCP gave me an opportunity,” Khadse, a prominent leader from north Maharashtra said.

Khadse has often blamed Fadnavis for his political exile.

He said it was NCP president Sharad Pawar who rehabilitated him politically.

In the MLC polls held for 10 seats on Monday for which 11 candidates were in the fray, the BJP won all the five seats it had contested, while NCP and Shiv Sena won two seats each. Congress bagged one seat but lost another. 

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Published June 20th, 2022 at 23:26 IST

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