Cong can’t manage its own flock: Bawankule rebuts coercion charge

Nagpur: Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday rejected Congress's charge that BJP used pressure to thin the legislative council election field in Vidarbha, following allegations made a day earlier by Sakoli MLA Nana Patole.Patole had claimed Mahayuti unleashed law enforcement agencies on Congress nominees for Bhandara-Gondia local authorities constituency MLC seat, which led to two of their three nominees backing out of the contest.Bawankule, who is also Nagpur's guardian minister and is overseeing Mahayuti council campaign in Vidarbha, said the alliance's lead among the voting councillors left no room for the coercion charge to stand. Bawankule said, "BJP has never resorted to pressure politics. Instead, it was the Congress which did the politics of goondagiri and force for 65 years. Show me one candidate in the state on whom force was used by BJP. Congress is making allegations because it cannot manage its own people."In Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Raigad, Mahayuti has close to 90% of the voting councillors on its side, Bawankule said, adding unopposed result in such seats avoided unnecessary expenditure on a contest of which the outcome was already settled. Bawankule said where the contest is close, Mahayuti has no objection to the polls being fought. Bawankule thanked the candidates who withdrew their nominations and said with about 70% of the vote weighted against them, their defeat was certain.On Mahayuti's own councillors being grouped and sent to resorts before polls, Bawankule said in a tongue-in-cheek manner, "Some councillors have been told to go on tour today. Every councillor feels they should go for a trip."TOI had reported on Friday about Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) filing a complaint with Election Commission of India, State Election Commission and Bhandara district magistrate seeking action against officials it accused of partisan conduct.