Maharashtra CM violated poll codes: Congress to EC
Mumbai, June 5: The Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday lodged a formal complaint alleging violations of the Model Code of Conduct by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during the May 28 Lok Sabha by-elections in Palghar.
A three-page plea has been submitted to Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat in the Election Commission headquaters in New Delhi, said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant.
It details various instances whereby Fadnavis allegedly violated the Model Code of Conduct in force during the election, making announcements of various schemes, missing voters names and other discrepancies.
The plea has been sent in the name of the defeated Congress candidate in Palghar, Damodar Shingada, ex-MP, demanding strong action against Fadnavis and other concerned officials.
Shingada pointed out that during the election, the Congress complained to the Returning Officers several times regarding these violations but no action was taken against them by the EC.
Shingada highlighted Fadnavis' announcements promising waiver of 'khavati' loans and disbursal of new 'khavati' loans for tribals, a new medical college in Palghar, excluding 29 villages from the jurisdiction of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation.
Then came Fadnavis' hugely controversial statements exhorting BJP workers to use "Saam Daam, Dand Bhed" to win Palghar elections at any cost, which Shingada described as a threat to 'the people and opposition parties', the instances of BJP workers caught distributing cash at the behest of local district party chief, and violation of the Rs 70 lakh spending limit by the winning BJP candidate Rajendra Gavit.
The plea also pointed out how a large number of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) -- 282 in Palghar and 250 in Bhandara-Gondiya -- were down due to technical glitches for hours, the shocking instance of two Election Officers transporting the EVMs post-polling in a private car and names of many voters missing in Palghar.
The Congress complaint came six days after the Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray termed the Palghar Lok Sabha bypolls "a farce".
On May 31, Thackeray had charged that large-scale manipulations were carried out in the EVMs with the knowledge of the EC officials.
In the two Lok Sabha bypolls in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party retained the Palghar seat trouncing the main Sena rival, but it lost the Bhandara-Gondiya seat to the Nationalist Congress Party.
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Ramdas Athawale backs Fadnavis as Maharashtra CM; says Shinde can shift to Centre
New Delhi, Nov 26: RPI(A) leader Ramdas Athawale, a key BJP ally, on Tuesday called for a quick decision on the next chief minister of Maharashtra and suggested that incumbent Eknath Shinde should shift to the Centre as a Union minister.
Addressing a press conference here, Athawale also backed senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister of Maharashtra, contending that the saffron party won the maximum number of seats in the 288-member Assembly and should have the right to the top executive post in the state.
He said a peculiar situation has arisen in Maharashtra where BJP leaders want Fadnavis as the chief minister, while Shiv Sena leaders want Shinde to continue in the post, citing the good work he has done over the last two and a half years.
Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has declared that he was not in the race for the chief minister.
"We need to resolve this matter, without any further delay. The election results were announced on November 23 and we should have had the oath of the new chief minister on November 26, the Constitution Day," Athawale said.
Backing Fadnavis for the post of chief minister, Athawale said Shinde can become the deputy chief minister or shift to the Centre and join the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Athawale said his RPI(A) has a presence in every part of the state, but unfortunately lost the two seats -- Dharavi and Kalina -- offered to it in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.
He demanded that an RPI member be made an MLC and a minister in the state government.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections winning 235 seats in the 288-member House. The BJP won 132 seats, followed by Shinde-led Shiv Sena (57) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP (41). Smaller parties, who are part of the alliance, won five seats.
