Wife of slain sarpanch likely to contest Massajog bypoll

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:All eyes will be on Massajog village in Kaij taluka of Beed district on April 28, as one of the family members of slain sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, including his wife, could be in fray in the by-election for the post of sarpanch.Dhananjay Deshmukh, younger brother of the slain Sarpanch, said Ashwini, the widow of the murdered sarpanch, was ready to contest polls upon the insistence of villagers. There is also a possibility of a successor getting elected unopposed as a tribute to the slain sarpanch.The State Election Commission has announced the schedule for by-polls due in 471 villages in Maharashtra. The election in Massajog would be conducted against the backdrop of abduction and brutal killing of the earlier sarpanch, Santosh Deshmukh, in December 2024.Dhananjay said, "Ashwini, the widow of the murdered sarpanch, earlier served as a sarpanch, a deputy sarpanch and a member of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee. Since the death of my brother, people are rallying behind her as the successor."He said he was not keen to contest the poll as he had to look after the court matters related to the murder case of his brother.Vaibhav Bodkhe, the leader of Maratha Seva Sangh, said it would be apt tribute to hold the by-poll for Massajog unopposed by ensuring the victory of the successor of Santosh Deshmukh from his family.A total of eight people have been accused in the abduction and brutal killing of Massajog sarpanch on December 9, 2024. Walmik Karad, a close aide of former cabinet minister and Parli NCP MLA Dhananjay Munde, is the alleged mastermind of the murder.