PUNE: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-supported Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, Sanjay Kakade seems to be out of the picture in the race for the Pune Lok Sabha constituency. Now, Kakade’s wife’s name is being discussed and the BJP may give her an opportunity from Baramati if Mahadev Jankar of Rashtriya Samajwadi refuses to contest the polls from Baramati seat on the BJP symbol.
Kakade was elected independent member in Rajya Sabha. Later, the BJP supported him. He took active participation in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) election. He is considered close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Even before the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, he had started projecting himself as Pune Lok Sabha candidate.
He had openly expressed his wish to contest the election from Pune Lok Sabha seat. However, senior BJP leaders did not give any reaction. This made him restless so he even announced he would join the Congress after the elections were announced.
Meanwhile, Subhash Deshmukh, Solapur BJP leader and a close relative of Kakade, took him to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. After that meeting, Kakade started keeping a distance from the Congress party. Now, it is speculated that Kakade has dropped the plan to join Congress.
Usha Kakade is option to Jankar in Baramati
Now, the BJP is checking the possibility of giving candidature to Usha Kakade from Baramati if Mahadev Jankar, who has expressed interest in contesting Lok Sabha election from Baramati constituency, refused to contest on the BJP symbol. Jankar is founder of the Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP). RJP is an alliance partner of the BJP-Shiv Sena. In 2014, Jankar contested the election without using the BJP party symbol from Baramati constituency. But he lost the election with a thin margin to sitting NCP MP Supriya Sule.
Right now, BJP is pressurising Jankar to contest the election on BJP symbol as the party wants to win the Baramati seat. Recently, BJP National President Amit Shah has given a target to party workers to win Baramati seat at any cost as it is known as a bastion of NCP and party has given importance to Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. On that line, the BJP has kept the second option ready to give candidature to Usha Kakade if Jankar refuses to contest on BJP symbol.
