Rupali Chakankar quits NCP women’s wing post amid Kharat row

In a swift political fallout from the widening Ashok Kharat scandal, Nationalist Congress Party leader Rupali Chakankar on Friday night resigned as the party’s women’s wing chief just a week after stepping down as chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission.

The back-to-back exits underscore the mounting pressure on Chakankar following Kharat’s arrest in Nashik on charges of sexual assault and rape, and the emergence of photographs showing her proximity to the self-styled godman. The controversy had already drawn intervention from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had directed her to resign from her government post last week.

Announcing her decision on social media, Chakankar defended herself, reiterating that she had “no connection, direct or indirect” with Kharat’s alleged financial dealings or misconduct. She described the allegations circulating in the media as “false, untrue, and without evidence,” while maintaining that the truth would emerge through the investigation.