Maharashtra elections: Dilip Khedkar, father of sacked IAS officer Pooja Khedkar, to contest as an independent – India News

Dilip Khedkar, father of retired probationary IAS officer Pooja Khedkar, has contested the Maharashtra Assembly elections as an independent candidate from the Shevgaon seat in Ahilyanagar district. This comes after his unsuccessful bid in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.

Khedkar filed his candidacy on Tuesday, the last day to file. In a marked change from his Lok Sabha candidacy, he has not disclosed any information about his wife Manorama Khedkar in his election affidavit

Dilip Khedkar, a former government official, was among the accused in a case of alleged criminal intimidation after his wife reportedly brandished a gun at a farmer over a land dispute in Pune district in June 2023.

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During the Lok Sabha elections, Khedkar referred to his marital status in an affidavit suggesting that they were not divorced, contradicting his daughter Pooja.

Pooja Khedkar is accused of misusing the non-creamy OBC quota in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) by falsely claiming that her parents were divorced. In July, a Pune court granted bail to Dilip Khedkar in a criminal intimidation case.

He contested the Lok Sabha elections as the Vanchita Bahujan Agadi candidate from the Ahmednagar constituency but did not win.

Speaking about Khedkar losing his marital status, RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar told X, “During the Lok Sabha elections, they (Dilip Khedkar and Manorama Khedkar) were married, but when the question of caste came up, they showed themselves divided. , and now Khedkar again showed himself divided.”

Pooja Khedkar was discharged from the Indian Administrative Service in September 2024 under Rule 12 of the IAS (Probationary) Rules, 1954. The UPSC also canceled her candidature and barred her from appearing in future examinations from July 31.