Fighting LS polls from Ahmednagar under Sharad Pawar’s leadership: Lanke

Pune: NCP MLA Nilesh Lanke on Friday said he was quitting the Maharashtra Assembly to contest from the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat on a Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) ticket.

Lanke, legislator from Parner there, was earlier with Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party but had recently met opposition stalwart Sharad Pawar.

Lanke is likely to get a ticket from the Sharad Pawar faction to contest against Ahmednagar’s sitting BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil.

“Today, I am announcing my decision to quit as MLA. I apologise to you all. I am resigning because I don’t want someone to question us tomorrow. I don’t want someone to drag us to court,” he told a gathering of party workers while showing them his resignation letter addressed to the assembly speaker.

“I have taken the decision to contest Lok Sabha polls under the leadership of Sharad Pawar. My resignation letter will be sent by email (to the speaker),” he added.