Balwant Baswant Wankhade is an Indian politician serving as a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Amravati since June 2024. He is a Member of the Indian National Congress from Maharashtra.[1]
Balwant Wankhade | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| Assumed office 24 June 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Navneet Kaur Rana |
| Constituency | Amravati, Maharashtra |
| Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 24 October 2019 – 12 June 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Ramesh Ganpatrao Bundile |
| Constituency | Daryapur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 July 1967 Maharashtra, India |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Manda Balwant Wankhade |
| Parent(s) | Baswant Sawanji Wankhade, Sitabai Baswant Wankhade |
| Source: [1] | |
Political career
editBalwant Wankhede's journey from sarpanch to parliamentarian has taken place without any political legacy. Before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, he was elected from Daryapur Assembly constituency in the 2019 Maharashtra elections.[2]
Balwant Wankhade is a resident of Lehgaon in Daryapur taluka and Amravati district of Maharashtra. His political career started from 2005. He was a member of Lehgaon Gram Panchayat till 2010. He also served as Sarpanch.[2]
Balwant Wankhade served in various capacities in the Republican Party of India (Gavai), being close to party leaders R. S. Gavai and D. J. Vakpanjar. After being elected as a member of the Amravati District Council in 2012, he also served as the Health and Finance Chairman. He was the Chairman of Amravati District Council from 2017 to 2019. Balwant Wankhade also worked in the cooperative sector. From 2005 to 2020, he was the Director of Daryapur Agricultural Produce Market Committee. Also worked as Director of Amravati District Central Co-operative Bank.[2]
In 2009, he contested as an independent from the Daryapur Assembly constituency, where he lost, but got the second highest number of votes. Daryapur Assembly constituency is reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC).[2]
In the 2014 assembly elections, he contested as a candidate of RPI(G) from Daryapur. This time too he had to face defeat. But, in 2019, he contested as a Congress Party candidate and was elected with more than 30,000 votes. He resigned from his MLA on 12 June 2024 after being elected as MP in Amravati Lok Sabha constituency on 4 June 2024.[2]
Amravati Lok Sabha Constituency is reserved for Scheduled Castes. Navneet Kaur Rana's independent candidature in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was supported by the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party. However, he supported the BJP government at the center immediately after the elections. Due to this, the Maha Vikas Aghadi fielded Balwant Wankhede against Navneet Rana during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.[2]
Wankhade won the Amravati Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He defeated BJP candidate and then MP Navneet Kaur Rana. He was elected with almost 20,000 votes. On 24 June 2024, Wankhede took oath as a member of parliament in the Lok Sabha. He is one of the three Buddhist MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha.[3]
Personal life
editReferences
edit- ^ India Today (13 July 2024). "Ex-legislators | In the major league now". Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "अमरावती : सरपंच ते खासदारकीचा प्रवास! बळवंत वानखडेंच्या राजकीय कारकिर्दीचा चढता आलेख". Loksatta (in Marathi). 5 June 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
- ^ https://www.dhammabharat.com/buddhist-mps-in-18th-loksabha/
- ^ Hiwale, Sandesh (31 March 2024). "महाराष्ट्रात बौद्ध समाजाला राजकीय प्रतिनिधित्व किती असायला हवे आणि किती आहे?". Dhamma Bharat (in Marathi). Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "अमरावती : बौद्ध मतांचे विभाजन टाळा- गुणवंत देवपारे बळवंत वानखडे यांच्या विजयासाठी केले आवाहन". Hindusthan Samachar (in Marathi). 17 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Deshpande, Alok (26 April 2024). "In Maharashtra's 8 seats, shifting caste equations, Oppn focus on local issues unsettle ruling NDA". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 July 2024.