Sena's Khotkar concedes Jalna to BJP's Danve

Sena minister Arjun Khotkar offers sweets to his local arch-rival and state BJP president Raosaheb Danve in Aurangabad on Sunday, as Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other Shiv Sena and BJP leaders look on

It took a lot of coaxing by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray to convince his minister of state Arjun Khotkar to stay away from a Lok Sabha contest in Jalna against BJP state president Raosaheb Danve.

On Sunday, Khotkar agreed to step down and assured his leader he would not defect to the Congress or contest as an independent, and cooperate fully with Danve and BJP. Khotkar will now be Sena's coordinator in the Marathwada region.

As reward, he is expected to get a promotion in the state government Thackeray and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had discussed Khotkar's readiness to fight Danve last week and surmised that the tussle needed to be avoided if their alliance was to go ahead without glitches. For BJP, Danve's prestige had become paramount, while Khotkar cited Danve's indifference and autocratic ways for opposing him in Marathwada's industrial town of Jalna. "The tussle is over now. Khotkar will be our Arjuna who will destroy the anti-nationals," said Uddhav at a joint convention of Sena and BJP in Aurangabad on Sunday.

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