Congress accuses Fadnavis's aide of campaigning for BJP despite being govt employee

Mumbai, Nov 28 (PTI) A Congress leader has alleged that Vidyadhar Mahale, personal secretary to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and husband of BJP MLA Shweta Mahale, is campaigning for the BJP despite being a government employee.

    Shweta Mahale, who represents Chikhali constituency in Buldhana district, denied the allegation made by Congress leader Rahul Bondre, claiming that the video of an event held before the local body elections were declared was being circulated.
    Vidyadhar Mahale was campaigning openly for the ruling party for the December 2 elections to municipal councils and nagar panchayats, claimed Bondre, a former MLA, on Thursday.
    This was a serious violation of the Model Code of Conduct, he said, demanding action against Vidyadhar Mahale.

    Asked for her reaction, Shweta Mahale told PTI that the allegation was baseless and politically motivated.

    "It was a Diwali Milan event where my husband was present, and the Model Code of Conduct had not yet come into force. The code was implemented on November 4. Bondre could have raised an objection earlier," she said.

    "There was a chief minister's rally here, and candidature of Pandit Deshmukh was declared. Making such allegations after 15 days makes no sense. Why did he wait for 15 days?" she said.


    Senior BJP leaders such as Amit Shah and Fadnavis had campaigned in the constituency during the last year's assembly elections, yet her husband never attended any rally despite serving as Fadnavis's personal secretary, the MLA said.

    "My husband never campaigned then, and he has not done so now. I have defeated Bondre twice. This is hatred, and this is not the first time he has done this. Except (state Congress chief Harshwardhan) Sapkal, nobody gives any importance to Bondre," Mahale said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)