Gauri Lankesh Murder Accused Shrikant Pangarkar Wins BMC Election, Sparks Outrage

• Shrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case and Nalasopara arms recovery case, won as an independent candidate in the Jalna Municipal Council elections.
• His victory has ignited debates on public representatives' qualifications, candidate background scrutiny, and voter awareness.
• Election officials confirm no legal impediment for an unconvicted accused to contest elections.
• In BMC elections, BJP leads with 95 wards, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena with 71, and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena with 29.
• BJP-led 'Mahajuti' crossed the magic figure in Mumbai's 227-ward municipal corporation; BJP also leads in Pune and Nagpur.

Why It Matters: Gauri Lankesh murder accused Shrikant Pangarkar's election win sparks controversy over candidate eligibility.