Maharashtra Election 2019: Jailed mafia don Chhota Rajan’s brother Deepak Nikhalje gets ticket
Mumbai, Oct 03: The Republican Party of India (Athawale), an ally of the ruling BJP, has fielded Deepak Nikalje, brother of jailed underworld don Chhota Rajan, from Phaltan Assembly constituency in Western Maharashtra.
The RPI, led by Union minister Ramdas Athawale, has been given six seats as part of the seat-sharing deal between the BJP, Shiv Sena and other smaller allies for the October 21 state elections.
Athawale
announced
the
candidates
in
Mumbai
on
Wednesday.
"This
time
he
expressed
willingness
to
fight
the
election
from
Phaltan
since
he
hails
from
that
area
and
has
a
good
network
there,"
said
a
senior
RPI
leader.
Nikalje,
who
has
been
with
the
RPI
for
several
years,
had
earlier
unsuccessfully
fought
assembly
elections
from
Chembur
in
Mumbai
on
the
party's
ticket.
However,
as
per
the
seat-sharing
deal;
it
has
now
been
allotted
to
Shiv
Sena.
In 2018, a case was registered against Nikhalje for alleged rape and sexual harassment based on the complaint of a 22-year-old woman.
After 27 years on the run, Nikhalje's notoriously known brother Rajendra Sadashiv Nikhalje alias Chhota Rajan was arrested in Bali on 25 October 2015 after which he was extradited to India on 6 November.
Last year, he was convicted of the murder of Mid Day's crime and investigations editor J Dey and was handed life imprisonment.
Five other seats where Republican Party of India would be fielding candidates are Malshiras in Solapur district, Bhandara and Naigaon in Nanded district, Pathri in Parbhani and Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar in Mumbai.
(with PTI inputs)