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Dilip Khedkar, the father of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, has entered the poll fray in Maharashtra Assembly Elections.
Former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar (File Photo)
Former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar’s father, Dilip Khedkar has entered the poll fray and will contest the Maharashtra Assembly Elections as an Independent candidate from the Shevgaon constituency in Ahmednagar.
This comes months after he unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha Polls 2024 on Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi ticket from the Ahmednagar seat.
NCP (Sharad Pawar)’s Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke had emerged victorious in the seat, defeating BJP’s Sujay Vikhe Patil. Khedkar faced a defeat in the constituency, securing fewer votes than an Independent candidate — Alekar Gorakh Dashrath who got 44,597 votes. Khedkar, the VBA candidate, got 13,749 (1.04 per cent votes).
Maharashtra Assembly Elections are slated to take place on November 20 and the counting of votes will be done on November 23.
Who is Puja Khedkar and what’s the case against her?
Puja Khedkar faces the accusations of cheating and improperly securing OBC and disability quota benefits and was discharged from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) under Rule 12 of IAS (Probation) Rules, 1954.
Last month, on September 7, the Centre also discharged her with immediate effect from the IAS.
The two steps followed after she was allegedly found to have availed more number of attempts at the Civil services examination than her claimed category of OBC and PwD permitted. She had exhausted that limit prior to 2022, the year of her selection, news agency ANI reported earlier citing sources.
The UPSC said on July 31 that it has taken the decision to cancel the provisional candidature of Puja Khedkar, who was facing accusations of cheating and forgery. It had found her guilty of violating rules and debarred her from taking all future exams and selections.
In its status report filed before the Delhi High Court, the Delhi Police had informed that Puja Khedkar submitted two disability certificates and raised suspicion that one of them might be forged.
In her reply to the Delhi High Court, Khedkar stated that the UPSC does not have the authority to disqualify her.
