Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pankaja Munde said on Thursday that she will achieve a "very respectable victory" in the Lok Sabha elections from the Beed constituency.
Speaking to the media, the BJP leader said, "I am completely confident about my victory. This is because we (the BJP) are entering the Lok Sabha elections with the development work we have done. This is the first time I will contest the Lok Sabha polls." "With my 22 years of experience in politics and the relationships I have built with people, I am confident that I will achieve a very respectable victory," she added.
For the Beed Lok Sabha seat, the party named Pankaja Munde as its candidate, instead of her younger sister Pritam Munde, who has been holding the seat for the last two terms.
Pritam has been representing the Beed seat since 2014. Their late father, Gopinath Munde, had won the Beed parliamentary constituency in 2009 and 2014.
However, his death in 2014 led to Pritam contesting and winning that year's bypoll from there, along with the 2019 elections. With Pankaja's candidature now, the BJP has given candidature to the third member of the same family.
Earlier, Pankaja said she would ensure that Pritam will not have to sit at home as she had to do following her defeat in the 2019 state assembly polls.
Pankaja said, "After I lost the 2019 assembly elections, I spent most of the time at home. However, I will ensure that my sister Pritam does not face the same predicament. I am giving my word to her and not displacing her." "Pritam is a doctor by profession, but she gave up her career and entered politics. We shall not forget her sacrifice," the former women and child development minister said.
What happened in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls?
In the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, Pritam Munde, representing the BJP, emerged victorious as the winning candidate from the Beed Lok Sabha constituency.
She secured a total of 6,78,175 votes, while her closest competitor, Bajrang Manohar Sonwane of the NCP, garnered 5,09,807 votes and faced defeat with a margin of 1,68,368 votes.
Meanwhile, Sonawane, previously aligned with Ajit Pawar's faction within the NCP, made a significant move by joining Sharad Pawar's camp on Wednesday.
"I was always with the NCP. Many party workers told me they felt suffocated on the other side. Therefore, I came here on behalf of my supporters. I did not come here with any expectations. Whatever responsibility Pawar Saheb will give me, I will accept it without any hesitation. Whoever is the candidate from Beed, I will support them with full strength. Pawar Saheb had given me a ticket last time from Beed and considered me for the responsibility. I will always remain grateful to him," Sonwane said.
It needs to be seen if Sonwane gets the ticket to contest against Pankaja Munde.
