Shrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the 2017 murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, has won the Jalna Municipal Corporation election in Maharashtra as an independent candidate. Pangarkar contested from Ward 13 in Jalna city, located in the Marathwada region, and celebrated his victory with supporters after the results were declared.
According to election officials, Pangarkar defeated his nearest rival, BJP candidate Raosaheb Dhoble, by a margin of 184 votes. Pangarkar secured 2,661 votes, while Dhoble polled 2,477 votes. Almost all major political parties fielded candidates against him, except the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which did not contest the ward.
The win has drawn attention due to Pangarkar’s alleged role in the killing of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh. Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru’s Rajarajeshwari Nagar on September 5, 2017, in a murder that sparked nationwide outrage. Investigators later said the killing was carried out by a group of 18 people linked to Hindutva extremist networks.
Pangarkar was named as an accused in the case in 2021. He was charged along with several others, including prime accused Amol Kale, who allegedly planned the murder. Kale was said to have been influenced by the literature of Sanatan Sanstha, a Goa-based Hindutva organisation. Investigations claimed Pangarkar played a role in the wider conspiracy behind the killing.
In August 2018, Pangarkar was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad after crude bombs and weapons were recovered from multiple locations in the state. He was booked under the Explosives Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. He was later granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on September 4, 2024, in the Gauri Lankesh murder case.
Pangarkar has a long political history in Jalna. He earlier served as a municipal councillor between 2001 and 2006 when the Shiv Sena was still united. After being denied a party ticket in 2011, he joined the right-wing Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. Ahead of the November 2024 Assembly elections, he briefly joined the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, but his induction was put on hold following strong public criticism.
Counting of votes for 29 civic bodies across Maharashtra is currently underway. Early trends suggest that the BJP is moving towards gaining control of the Jalna Municipal Corporation.
