Exclusive | Lok Sabha elections 2024: MVA discussed, Mahayuti acted, says Mahadev Jankar

Mahadev Jankar of the NDA ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha who is being dismissed by rivals as an outsider to the region says he possesses a much better vision for development than local leadersIn conversation with midday he said ldquoI am a citizen of this country a resident of Maharashtra and a national leader of my partyrdquoThe leader added ldquoI have longterm plans to bring industry to Parbhani boost agriculture and have proper business links with agricultural factories that will help boost the overall growth of the constituencyrdquo ExcerptsThe Opposition is claiming you are an outsiderRashtriya Samaj Paksha chief Mahadev Jankar shares the stage with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at Pathri in Parbhani on Tuesday PicNimesh DaveThis is a very trivial allegation Irsquom a national leader Irsquom a citizen of India and a resident of Maharashtra The Oppositionrsquos candidate Sanjay Jadhav of the Shiv Sena UBT is also not a local He hails from Latur Opponents should talk about their vision for the constituency and what they have done in the past I have a visionThere are infrastructural issues in Parbhani People say there is a need to strengthen the railway network and improve roadsYes roads in Parbhani city are in terrible condition I will work to improve them We will strengthen the railway network and try to increase the frequency of trains and improve connectivity to the other metro cities If industrialisation starts in Parbhani the rail network will automatically increaseFarmer suicides are a serious concern in Marathwada They have been demanding a minimum support price for crops and an irrigation systemWe will develop projects that will provide water for irrigation as well as drinking We are working on an MSP for farmers I will make sure farmersrsquo families donrsquot solely depend on agriculture We will develop a culture of agricultureallied business to ensure farmers arenrsquot dependent on crops and have alternative sources of incomeUnemployment and migration of youth are high here due to the absence of the industryYes migration is on the higher side here Unemployment is also an issue I have plans to start an industry in every tehsil and will develop industrial zones in the district which will offer the youth hightech jobs I have also been working on starting a defence material and railway coach factory here which will offer government jobs to localsYou were in talks with NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar and then suddenly got a ticket from the Mahayuti Will this not harm your prospects in the electionNot at all Irsquove been in an alliance with the Mahayuti for the past 10 years Yes I met NCP SP president Sharad Pawar who had promised to give me a seat But it was just a talk and nothing beyond that Mahayuti went a step ahead I had also talked with Shiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray and demanded that my party should be given three constituencies But he refused saying it was not possible Even Congress leaders told me that it was not possible to give me three constituencies Now Irsquom an official Mahayuti candidate I accepted their offer and they immediately announced me as the candidate The others had just discussed the matterYou contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Baramati on your party symbol but lost by less than 70000 votes That time the BJP had offered you a seat to contest the election as their candidate Even now you are contesting on your party symbol Arenrsquot you afraidNo Why will I be I have my party Irsquom the president of the party I want to run my party and grow it Why should I fight on another symbol I will win48No of LS seats in state