Know Who Is Shrikant Pangarkar? Gauri Lankesh Murder Accused Expelled By Eknath Shinde

A couple of days after journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder accused Shrikant Pangarkar joined the Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde fraction, Maharashtra Chief Minister and party supremo Eknath Shinde expelled him. Announcing the decision on Shrikant Pangarkar's membership, Eknath Shinde declared the appointment "null and void". In the poll-bound Maharashtra, people protested against Shrikant Pangrakar's relations with Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and were demanding action against him.

If CM Eknath Shinde had not taken action against Shrikant Pangarkar, his party might have faced some loss of votes in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024.

Know more about Shrikant Pangarkar:

Shrikant Pangarkar, son of BJP worker Jagannath, began his political career in 1996 under the banner of undivided Shiv Sena. He held positions of Shakha Pramukh and Vibhag Pramukh and was used to manage election campaigns for the party in local areas.

In 2001, he contested and won civic poll from Jalna for the first time. In 2011, he joined Hindu Janajagruti Samithi, a right-wing group. Insiders believe his strong pro-Hindutva stance helped consolidate votes for Sena in Jalna city.

Shrikant Pangarkar was inducted into the party ranks in Jalna on Friday by his mentor, Arjun Khotkar, a former minister. He was appointed as the campaign in-charge for the Jalna Assembly seat.

Pangarkar asserted he never left the party and had held numerous roles within the Sena. "Since 2014, I have been handling the role that I have been assigned now," he told media.

He is also accused in the murder case of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

Also, he is facing charges in the Nalasopara arms haul case where Maharashtra ATS accused him and others of plotting to disrupt Pune's 2017 Sunburn music festival.

However, Pangarkar denied all allegations claiming them to be plotted by political rivals. He is now out on a bail.