6 months ago
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The Opposition connected Sunday (November 23, 2025) demanded enactment by the Election Commission against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar implicit his caller comments during predetermination campaigning for Malegaon Nagar Panchayat elections, alluding to an alleged menace to voters. The Deputy Chief Minister defended his statement, portion Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought to downplay the controversy.
“Where did I threaten? You saw successful Bihar too. Tejaswi said successful Bihar that each household volition get a job. Everyone has the close to accidental what they privation to say. It is the voters who instrumentality a telephone connected who to ballot for. The voters are smart. They volition decide,” Mr. Pawar told reporters connected Sunday (November 23).
The connection came a time aft a video clip emerged successful which helium was seen speaking astatine a nationalist event, saying, “If you elite each the 18 candidates, I volition springiness you what I person committed. But if you chopped connected something, adjacent I volition enactment a cut. You person your ballot successful your hands, I person funds successful my hands.”
When asked astir it, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Everyone says things during elections. That does not mean anything. Once we get elected, we each enactment unneurotic for the advancement of the full State.”
The Opposition asked wherefore the Election Commission had not taken cognisance of the remarks and sought enactment against the Deputy Chief Minister. Supriya Sule, MP of the NCP SP and Mr. Pawar’s cousin, said it was the motivation work of the Election Commission to support a cheque connected specified statements.
Mahesh Tapase, spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), issued a beardown condemnation, saying it amounted to an explicit menace against the antiauthoritarian rights of the people. “Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the State’s Finance portfolio, shockingly declared to voters that they ‘have votes, I person funds’. These remarks are thing abbreviated of threatening and intimidating the electorate. The Constitution of India vests the existent authorization successful the people, and immoderate effort by a almighty nationalist bureau holder to coerce their franchise is simply a nonstop onslaught connected ideology itself.”
He sought contiguous and stringent enactment from the Election Commission of India. “How agelong tin the Election Commission stay a soundless spectator portion a salient State person openly threatens voters and tries to leverage State resources for governmental gain? The ECI indispensable instrumentality contiguous enactment against DCM Ajit Pawar arsenic per the law,” helium said.
Shiv Sena UBT person Ambadas Danve said that the Deputy Chief Minister was a specified custodian of nationalist money, and not the owner. “This is similar threatening voters. The funds bash not travel from Ajit Pawar’s idiosyncratic funds. It is tax-payer’s money. Why is the Election Commission soundless connected it?” helium asked.
