Supporter breaks 5k coconuts after Pankaja gets MLC nomination

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The crowd erupted in cheer when vehicles carrying 5,000 coconuts arrived at a Ganesh temple in Namalgaon near Beed on Tuesday morning.
These coconuts were offered to Ashapurak Ganesha at the temple by Ganesh Lande, a staunch supporter of Pankaja Munde, after the BJP leader received nomination for the State Legislative Council.
After offering coconuts and performing puja at the temple, Lande and his supporters broke the coconuts and distributed them among locals and the priest community.
Ashapurak Ganesha temple at Namalgaon is among the oldest temples in Marathwada. As per the legend, Yama, the God of Death, worshipped Lord Ganesha at the place after he got reprieve from a curse.
Lande, who is a sarpanch of Barhanpur village near Beed, said he had prayed before Lord Ganesha for “immediate” political rehabilitation of Pankaja post her defeat in the recent Lok Sabha election.
“Nobody thought Pankaja tai would lose. Her scores of supporters like me were shell-shocked after her defeat. God heard our prayers as she is soon getting a berth in the state legislative council,” Lande said.
Notably, at least two supporters of Pankaja died of suicide after her defeat in the Lok Sabha election.
In a see-saw battle, Pankaja lost the Beed Lok Sabha seat to Bajrang Sonawne of NCP (SCP) by a margin of 6,553 votes. Amid talks of her contesting upcoming assembly elections or getting nominated to Rajya Sabha, the name of Pankaja has figured in the list of five candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council biennial elections.