Shirdi: All political parties have started preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, which may be announced at any moment. BJP leaders in the Grand Alliance are insisting that the Shirdi seat be given to the BJP. On the other hand, questioning the efficiency of sitting Shiv Sena MP Sadashiv Lokhande, Shinde's Shiv Sena office-bearers have demanded Chief Minister Eknath Shinde not to give tickets to Lokhande but another competent candidate.
There is resentment in the constituency against Sadashiv Lokhande. The party leadership has been warned that hundreds of office-bearers in North Nagar would resign if he was renominated. Shiv Sena Women's Front district chief and former mayor Anita Jagtap and former Shirdi deputy mayor Vijay Jagtap held a press conference and opposed Lokhande's candidature. Jagtap said the Shiv Sena has asked the chief minister to give a strong candidate instead of Lokhande.
'Sadashiv Lokhande has very little contact in Uttar Nagar district. He has not done any development work in the last 10 years. As office-bearers, we were never taken in confidence." Anita Jagtap has alleged that a sincere worker like Devkar was removed from the post of district chief.
On this occasion, Taluka President of Shrirampur Mahila Morcha Poonam Jadhav, Deputy District Head of Sangamner Taluka Arjun Kashid, Rajur City Chief Vikram Jagdale of Akole Taluka Bapusaheb Sherkar, Youth City Chief Rampal Pandey, Rahata Sub-Taluka Head Subhash Upadhya, Shirdi City Organiser Nanak Sawantre, and other office-bearers handed over their resignations to former district chief Rajendra Deokar. Karan Jagtap, Rajendra Bhave, Rajendra Dabhade, Shakir Shaikh, Bhima Ganakwar, Hari Shelar, Kishore Surve, Prakash Jagtap, and other officials were present.
Sadashiv Lokhande denies the allegations
"I can give a list of the work done in Shirdi and the constituency, the accusers are witnesses to many works. How will the work look like to the one who deliberately paints the blind? Jagtap husband and wife do not come to the meetings despite repeated messages from the district chief, the selection of office-bearers is decided after taking everyone into consideration and at the party level." MP Sadashiv Lokhande denied the allegations, saying they wanted the post of city chief.