Mumbai: Influential Dhangar (shepherd) community leader Gopichand Padalkar would be aVanchit Bahujan Aghadi candidate from the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi led by Prakash Ambedkar in crucial Sangli Lok Sabha constituency.
Padalkar is a staunch supporter of Manohar Bhide, chief right wing outfit Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan. Also, Bhide is a prime accused in orchestrating the Bhima-Koregaon clashes last year. Ambedkar has continuously demanding the arrest of Bhide ‘Guruji’ and that is why the eyebrows were raised in political circle, after Padalkar reportedly joined the VBA on Monday in Nagpur.
Padalkar had recently announced his decision to contest polls as an Independent from the Sangli seat. According to sources, Ambedkar, who is eyeing the sizeable Dhangar in Sangli, is thinking of fielding Padalkar from the Sangli LS seat located in the sugar heartland of western Maharashtra. Padalkar’s probable induction into the VBA is expected to court considerable controversy.
The VBA, which is contesting the polls in alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), had earlier said it would field Jaisingh Shendge, another Dhangar leader who is reportedly not too keen on contesting.
Padalkar’s entry into the Sangli electoral fray is likely to make difficulties for both the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sanjay Patil, who is the sitting MP of Sangli, as well the Swabhimani Paksha’s candidate Vishal Patil, a grandson of late Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil.
