Who is Nilesh Lanke? Parner MLA Leaves Ajit Pawar Faction, Joins Sharad Pawar Group In Pune

Amid speculation of Ajit Pawar faction leader Nilesh Lanke joining the Sharad Pawar faction, Lanke held a press conference alongside Sharad Pawar, asserting his allegiance to the senior Pawar and denying any association with other parties.

He officially joined the NCP (SP). Addressing reporters in Pune, he emphasized his alignment with Sharad Pawar's vision.

However, he clarified that there have been no discussions within the party regarding his potential candidacy for the Lok Sabha polls from Ahmednagar. If nominated by the NCP (SP), he will contest against the incumbent MP, Sujay Vikhe Patil.

Despite initially siding with Ajit Pawar following the party split last year, Lanke prominently displayed Sharad Pawar's photograph on all his banners in Ahmednagar.

Regarding the power dynamics in Ahmednagar, historically, the BJP and NCP have been arch-rivals. In the 2019 elections, the current MP, Sujay Vikhe, secured victory over NCP's Sangram Jagtap. Prior to that, the seat was held by BJP's Mansukhlal Gandhi in 2009 and 2014, succeeding the NCP’s Tukaram Gadakh.

The Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency comprises six Assembly segments. Notably, in the 2019 elections, the NCP emerged victorious in four of these segments. Among the NCP MLAs securing victories were Rohit Pawar from Karjat-Jamkhed, Lanke from Parner, Prajakt Tanpure from Rahuri, and Sangram Jagtap from Ahmednagar City. Additionally, Babanrao Pachpute, a former NCP leader who joined the BJP in 2014, won from Shrigonda, while Monika Rajale of the BJP triumphed in Shevgaon.

Who is Nilesh Lanke?

Nilesh Lanke serves as the MLA representing the Parner constituency in Ahmednagar district. He became MLA first time in the 2019 assembly elections under the NCP banner, defeating Shiv Sena's three-time-elected candidate, Vijay Auti.

Lanke's father worked as a primary school teacher, and after completing his education up to the 12th grade, Nilesh pursued ITI training. Following a brief stint in various companies and owning a small hotel, he transitioned to social work.