In Guise Of Book Launch, Sharad Pawar Inducts Nilesh Lanke from Ajit Pawar team

Tikam Shekhawat

Pune, 14 March 2024: In an  expected turn of events, Nilesh Lanke, the MLA representing the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party from Parner, Ahmedanagar has in principal joined the NCP Sharadchandra Pawar team today at 5 p.m. at the NCP office in ShivajiNagar Pune. While this move had been widely discussed in political circles in Pune and Ahmednagar for the past two weeks, Nilesh Lanke, today, finally appeared alongside Sharad Pawar, Amol Kolhe, and Jayant Patil on the stage, where he also engaged with the press. Notably, neither Sharad Pawar nor his team, or Nilesh Lanke himself, formally announced the induction of Nilesh Lanke.

The occasion was veiled under the guise of a book launch of Nilesh Lanke, “Mi Anubhavlela Covid.” Lanke, who represents Parner in Ahmednagar as a sitting MLA and has been a long-standing member of the NCP, is known to be a close associate of Ajit Pawar. Despite Lanke expressing interest in contesting for a Lok Sabha seat on several occasions, the BJP lead coalition has given the candidacy to Sujay Vikhe which has prompted Lanke to explore other avenues to fulfill his aspirations.

During today’s press conference by NCP Sharadchandra Pawar Team, State President Jayant Patil remarked, “Lanke has been a devoted follower of Pawar Sahab. He played a commendable role in supporting the people of his constituency during the challenging times of COVID, assisting over 31,000 individuals.” Nilesh Lanke affirmed his allegiance to Pawar Sahab, stating, “I have always stood by Pawar Sahab’s side. Today, I am here for the launch of my book, ‘Mi Anubhavlela Covid.'” He clarified that he had not discussed anything related to a Lok Sabha ticket with Pawar Sahab.

It’s noteworthy that none of the speakers at the conference explicitly stated that Nilesh Lanke had formally joined the NCP Sharad Pawar team. It is said that, the prominent reason for this is that if Lanke were to announce this himself, the NCP Ajit Pawar team could take action against him under the Anti-Defection Law. And hence, this strategic politics, in the guise of book launch is actually an entry of Nilesh Lanke in the NCP Sharad Pawar team. This reflects the smart move cum politics of Sharad Pawar, as remarked by many in political circles.