Local elections are underway in Maharashtra. Amidst these elections, discord within the ruling alliance has surfaced. The reason behind this is the list of candidates for the Lohia Municipal Council election in Nanded district. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded six members from a single family in this municipal council election. This has led the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) to launch an offensive against its own ally.
NCP (AP) legislator Pratap Patil Chikhlikar attacked BJP by questioning the appropriateness of such candidate selection, suggesting it raises doubts about the availability of suitable candidates. He sarcastically remarked that when senior leaders fail to find appropriate candidates, situations like this arise.
While speaking to journalists in Nanded, Chikhlikar commented that when those who consider themselves top leaders at both the state and district levels cannot find candidates, it results in an entire family of six, or even ten, being fielded. He also criticized BJP's decision to not field candidates in the Biloli Municipal Council.
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Notably, BJP, which has shown aggression against opposition parties over nepotism, has filled positions from council president to councilor with six individuals from one family. This is happening when 20 members are to be elected for Lohia Municipal Council's 10 wards. Gajanan Suryavanshi has been appointed as the council president candidate by BJP.
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Gajanan Suryavanshi’s wife Godavari is contesting from Ward 7A, his brother Sachin from Ward 1A, his sister-in-law Supriya from Ward 8A, relative Waghmare from Ward 7B, and his nephew's wife Vyahare is contesting from Ward 3. Elections are taking place for 246 municipal councils and 42 municipal panchayats in Maharashtra. Voting will occur on December 2, with results declared on December 3. Nanded is the home district of ex-CM Ashok Chavan, who switched from Congress to BJP, and his reputation is at stake in these local elections.
