New Delhi: Shrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the 2017 murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, has been elected to the Jalna municipal corporation from Ward 13. An independent candidate, Pangarkar defeated his nearest rival—BJP’s Raosaheb Dhoble—by a margin of 2,621 votes.
Visuals of Pangarkar and his supporters celebrating his win have sparked a debate on the role of elected representatives with criminal backgrounds.
Pangarkar announced his candidacy last week. According to a report by Hindustan Times, he told reporters on 9 January, “I had been a councillor for 10 years. With the development work I did in those 10 years, they [voters] are connected with me. I came back after a gap and a new generation is here. The new generation is also connecting with me.
VIDEO | Jalna, Maharashtra: Journalist Gauri Lankesh murder accused Shrikant Pangarkar celebrates his victory with supporters after winning the Jalna Municipal Corporation elections as an independent candidate.
#Jalna #MaharashtraCivicPolls2026
(Full video available on PTI… pic.twitter.com/slFETxVN1w
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 16, 2026
“So, it feels good to work with everyone. Election and that matter (Gauri Lankesh murder) have nothing to do with each other. That matter is related to Karnataka.”
Pangarkar started his political career with the undivided Shiv Sena under Balasaheb Thackeray in 1996, managing local campaigns and eventually rising to vibhag pramukh. He secured his first win in the Jalna Municipal Council elections and served as councillor from 2001 to 2006.
However, he joined Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, after being denied a ticket by the Shiv Sena in 2011.
In November 2024 he briefly rejoined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Senior party leader and former minister Arjun Khotkar formally welcomed him back into the fold at a public event in Jalna.
However, he was swiftly expelled following backlash by journalists, activists and opposition parties citing his criminal record.
Arrested in October 2018, by the Maharashtra ATS in connection with a seizure of crude bombs and weapons. Pangarkar, is one of 18 accused persons in the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her residence in Bengaluru on 5 September 2017.
Of the 18 accused, 17 including Pangarkar are out on bail and one on the run.
Pangarkar was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on 4 September 2024. He is alleged to have been a part of the plot from the conspiracy phase and lending support.
The Lankesh murder is also tied to the murders of rationalists Dr Narendra Dabholkar, M.M. Kalburgi and Govind Pansare.
Pangarkar also faces charges in the 2017 Nalasopara arms haul case, accused of offences under UAPA, Explosives Act, and related laws after allegedly conspiring to disrupt a music festival in Pune.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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