Mumbai, Maharashtra (October 22, 2024): Rajkumar Badole, a senior BJP leader and former Social Justice Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar on Tuesday.
Badole likely to contest the upcoming election from the Arjuni Morgaon constituency in Gondia district on the NCP’s clock symbol.
"In the last 2.5 years, the Mahayuti government has done a lot of good work in Maharashtra. The NCP will contest the elections in the Mahayuti alliance from the place where I contest the election. We feel that this government should come back to Maharashtra again," Badole said after joining the NCP.
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Badole, who previously represented the Arjuni Morgaon Assembly seat twice, faced a setback in the 2019 elections. He lost to NCP candidate Manohar Chandrikapure by a narrow margin of 715 votes.
Both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) -- comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress -- have intensified their preparations for the upcoming elections to 288 Assembly seats in the State.
Voting for the 288-member legislative assembly in Maharashtra will be held in a single phase on November 20. Counting will be held on November 23.