Former bureaucrat Ardad says ready to contest polls after Jarange meet

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Former state bureaucrat Madhukarrao Ardad on Saturday announced in Jalna his intention to contest the state assembly elections from the Ghansawangi constituency after holding a meeting with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange a day before.
Ardad had retired as the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar revenue divisional commissioner on May 31.While the Ghansawangi assembly constituency is a part of Jalna district geographically, it comes under the Parbhani Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency is currently represented by former health minister and NCP (SCP) MLA Rajesh Tope.
According to sources, Ardad shares a close rapport with Manoj Jarange and expressed his desire to contest the Maharashtra assembly election during his meeting with the Maratha reservation activist.
“I am mulling over contesting the assembly elections from Ghansawangi constituency. I will start the Jan-Sanvad Yatra from Aug 19-31 and cover the entire assembly constituency,” Ardad said, while speaking to reporters.
Ardad said during this tour, he would interact with the voters from the constituency to know their problems, demands and expectations.
“I will reach out to them [voters] in the capacity of former revenue divisional commissioner to seek their suggestions about the political party I should contest assembly polls from. Following this, I will discuss it with my supporters and take a final call about it,” he said, while clarifying that in spite of sharing good relations with CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, he did not seek an assembly election ticket from either of them.
Aware of Ardad’s rapport with Jarange, govt had sent him to Lonavla to convince the Maratha activist call off his march to Mumbai with thousands of his supporters. Despite the meeting, Jarange had continued his march till Vashi in Navi Mumbai, where the CM met him and assured the fulfilment of the demand.
According to the activist, however, the promise to grant Maratha reservation from within OBC share and passing of Sage Soyare law had not been fulfilled by state yet.
On Wednesday, Swarajya Sanghatna chief Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati held a closed-door meeting with Jarange at village Antarwali Sarati. The move has sparked speculations of the Maratha activist forming an alliance with Sambhajiraje’s party.