The NCP (SP) had announced the nomination of Eknath Khadse in the Raver Lok Sabha constituency, but after Khadse announced that he would not be able to contest due to his health problems, former MLA Dr. Satish Patil accused Khadse of withdrawing from the election when the party was in trouble. Meanwhile, District President of NCP and District Bank President Sanjay Pawar accused him of betraying both Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray to secure candidature for his daughter-in-law, Raksha Khadse. These accusations have stirred up the political atmosphere in the district.
Following this, Eknath Khadse finally held a press conference on Sunday evening and stated that he had informed Sharad Pawar that he would not contest the Lok Sabha elections due to cardiac problems a few months ago, and that he did not keep the party in the dark. He also mentioned that he had already informed the party leadership of the reason behind his refusal, and if they had any further inquiries, he would address them. Drawing a parallel with the epic of Mahabharata, where Bhishma Pitamah, despite being a relative, fought against the Pandavas but blessed Arjuna with victory, Khadse stated that Raksha Khadse is his daughter-in-law, and he would bless her for victory.
In Raver, the BJP has nominated Eknath Khadse's daughter-in-law, Raksha Khadse, for the third time. To contest against Raksha Khadse from this constituency, NCP (SP) had announced the name of senior leader Eknath Khadse and requested him to contest the election. However, Khadse has been suffering from heart disease and had undergone surgery in the meantime, with two blocks yet to be removed. The doctor has advised him to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the election. In such a situation, the party suggested that his daughter, Rohini Khadse, should contest this election. However, Rohini Khadse herself announced that she is not interested in the Lok Sabha elections but wishes to contest the assembly elections.
