Exclusive | Lok Sabha elections 2024: I have been working for development, says Raksha Nikhil Khadse

MP Raksha Khadse interacts with people in her constituency. Pic/Ashish Raje

BJP's Lok Sabha candidate for Raver, Raksha Nikhil Khadse is a powerful name in Jalgaon district. A two-time sitting member of parliament, the 37-year-old Khadse first entered the parliament in 2014 as one of India's youngest MPs at the age of 26 and is now vying for the seat for the third time to make a hat trick. Born Priyanka Jagdish Patel, she is the widow of Nikhil Khadse, son of Jalgaon's towering leader Eknath Khadse. Walking around in 42°C heat in the interior villages of Raver constituency, she has been facing villagers head-on, answering all their queries patiently. mid-day caught up with her on a tour after a gram sabha visit in the Wadoda hamlet in Malkapur tehsil.

Excerpts…

You have been a two-time MP. How do you sense the public mood this time given the changing political equations and new alignments?
The changes and equations will not affect me as I have been working for the constituency in a focused manner with overall development.

What are your key achievements in the last ten years?
Development of roads, infrastructure and rail. Look at the roads here. The main roads are done and now we are doing up the interior ones. In the next few years, all of them will be complete and the next step after this will be bringing in industries.

Parts of national highway 753B passing through Muktainagar, despite MP Raksha Khadse promising it would pass through Revar. Pic/Ashish Raje

There are allegations that the national highway that was to go from Raver has now changed alignments…
No. This is incorrect. The alignment studies are on and as I promised, the highway will pass through Raver and lead to development.

How do you counter claims of the Opposition candidate, that you are never seen in the constituency?
(Laughs) Is it so? If that is the case, what am I doing here? I am the one who has been visiting every village in the constituency. The development reflects my work.

Your father-in-law has begun actively campaigning for you…
Yes. I have his blessings and his active involvement now will improve the prospects further.

Your family is split with different members in different political parties. (Eknath Khadse was in BJP, quit, joined NCP and is now back in BJP)… and daughter, Advocate Rohini Khadse heads the women's wing of NCP-Sharad Pawar)…

Yes. But you cannot term it as a family fight. I have always been with the BJP since the beginning and will keep working. The larger picture is about fighting for the cause of people, which we as a family have been doing.

There are issues of unemployment and jobs for the youth, who end up migrating to urban hubs...
Industries do not come when there is no infra or good roads. The roads are almost developed now, and the interiors are being done now. The railway network is being upgraded and there has been an overall improvement in all sectors. That has been my focus. The improvement of infra will continue and the next step in all this is to get industries to Raver. My focus will remain on that.

Raver, despite being the banana belt, does not have enough allied businesses...
Yes. Raver grows bananas on a large scale. I have been working on a project submitted to the horticulture department for cluster development for the fruit. It will help in banana export.

SWOT analysis Raksha Khadse

Strengths
>> Sitting two-time MP, knows tricks of the campaigning
>> Has been support pillar of women's help groups

Weaknesses
>> Electorate not happy with pace of work
>> Complaints of not being seen in the constituency

Opportunities
>> A completely weak and novice politician as the rival candidate
>> Has support of father-in-law, a towering politician

Threats
>> Sister-in-law, Advocate Rohini Khadse, is supporting rival candidate Shriram Patil and Sharad Pawar is backing Patil banking for agrarian issues