Ahead of the civic body polls in Maharashtra, a BJP MLA has accused a legislator of ally Shiv Sena (Shinde) of trying to influence voters with money power and other inducements.
It is Hingoli BJP MLA Tanaji Mutkule who levelled the accusations against Shiv Sena legislator Santosh Bangar on Thursday—alleging that the Kalamnuri MLA had accepted money to shift allegiance from the Uddhav Thackeray camp to the Eknath Shinde-led faction when the party split in 2022. Kalamnuri constituency is also within the Hingoli district limits.
The BJP and Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, both allies in the ruling Mahayuti coalition, have locked horns in the Hingoli Municipal Council elections, which are scheduled to take place on December 2, Tuesday. Speaking at a poll rally in Hingoli in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mutkule fired a fresh salvo at Bangar, alleging the latter was trying to influence voters with money power. "Here Shinde Sena's MLA (Bangar) has given candidature (for the post of Municipal Council head) to his brother. He is trying to entice people with the help of money power. He is now counting Rs 5,000 (per vote). He has also promised to distribute mutton and chicken in certain areas," the BJP MLA was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"Soon after I became an MLA in 2014, he (CM Fadnavis) gave funds for roads, drainage, beautification of a lake. Roads constructed since 2014 are in good condition even today," he maintained. "There was never an alliance in Hingoli. Bangar did not work for me across all my four elections. His cadres also did not do the work either. Therefore, there is no reason to call him a friend," Hingoli BJP MLA was further quoted as saying by ABP Live Marathi.
Earlier on Thursday, Mutkule alleged that Bangar accepted Rs 50 crore to switch loyalty from the Thackeray camp to the Shinde faction in 2022 when the Shiv Sena suffered a split. Bangar immediately hit back at Mutkule, accusing him of indulging in "misdeeds." Elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats are scheduled to be held on December 2, and the votes will be counted on December 3.
