Jitesh Antapurkar, the Congress MLA from Deglur, has been facing allegations of cross-voting in the Legislative Council elections for the past few days. Additionally, his recent meeting with BJP MP Ashok Chavan has raised questions about whether he might join the BJP. Today, Antapurkar attended a meeting of the District Planning Committee at the District Collector's office in Nanded. When media representatives arrived to ask questions, Antapurkar was seen trying to run away in order to avoid them. However, the media pursued him and managed to get his response.
At the District Collector's office, media representatives tried to stop Jitesh Antapurkar for his reaction. Upon seeing the news cameras, Antapurkar attempted to leave but was chased down by the media. "I will speak in detail about the allegations against me," he said. Regarding the cross-voting accusations, Antapurkar stated, "I will address these with evidence." He clarified that his meeting with Ashok Chavan was about developmental projects and that they have familial relations. "Chavan is a leader of our district, so we discussed development work," he explained. When asked if he was still with Congress, Antapurkar affirmed, "I am definitely still with Congress."
In the Legislative Council elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate and leader of the Peasants and Workers Party, Jayant Patil, faced defeat due to alleged cross-voting by Congress MLAs. Following this, a meeting of Maharashtra Congress leaders was held, where Congress state president Nana Patole announced that action would be taken against those who defied the party's orders. Among the names discussed was Jitesh Antapurkar. After the party hinted at disciplinary action, Antapurkar recently met Ashok Chavan, who has joined the BJP. Besides Antapurkar, Kailas Gorantyal was also accused of cross-voting, but Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar stated that Gorantyal remained loyal to the party.