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News India Live, Digital Desk: From time to time, such twists and turns come in the politics of Maharashtra which become a topic of discussion not only in the state but in the entire country. This time a result of Jalna Municipal Corporation elections is in the headlines. There were many candidates in the electoral fray, but all eyes were on Shrikant Pangarkar. Reason? Pangarkar’s name has been linked to the murder case of famous journalist Gauri Lankesh. Now the latest update is that Shrikant Pangarkar has won from his seat and has been elected as councillor. Let us understand in a very simple way what this matter is and why there is so much noise about it. Who is Shrikant Pangarkar and why was there controversy over him? Shrikant Pangarkar has a long association with politics, but his name came to the fore at the national level when he was arrested in the journalist Gauri Lankesh murder case. He was facing serious charges like conspiracy to murder and providing weapons. He also remained in jail for a long time. However, some time ago he got bail and came back out. As soon as he came out, he once again entered active politics, which created a lot of controversy. The victory of Jalna and the political mathematics of fielding Shrikant Pangarkar in the election field was a big issue for the opposition. The opposition said that a person with such serious allegations should not contest elections. But Pangarkar not only contested the elections but also proved by winning that his influence at the local level is still intact. His supporters have called his victory the beginning of ‘justice’, while critics are considering it a part of ‘criminalization’ of politics. Message of democracy and public opinion: The biggest power in elections is the public vote. Pangarkar’s victory has sparked a debate whether the public votes only on development and promises or are they ready to ignore the past of the accused? There is already a lot of turmoil going on in the politics of Maharashtra, in such a situation, Pangarkar becoming a councilor can create different types of political equations for Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and other parties. The fight for our opinion law is still long. The strings of Gauri Lankesh murder case are quite complicated and the matter is pending in the court. But the political platform has now accepted him as a ‘people’s representative’. In the coming time, it will be interesting to see what role Pangarkar plays in the Municipal Corporation meetings and whether this victory has any social or political impact on his main case. Do you think that a person who has come out of jail on a serious charge should be allowed to contest elections? Or is the public’s decision supreme? Share your views with us in the comments.