The Aryavarth Express
Solapur, January 15: Congress MP Praniti Shinde accused the BJP of using unethical tactics, including money distribution and alleged violence, in the ongoing Maharashtra local body elections. She cast her vote on Thursday in Solapur, along with her father and former Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and other family members.
Speaking to the media, Praniti Shinde said, “When we vote in the Solapur Municipal Corporation and Maharashtra local body elections, our vote should be for development. Congress is fighting for this, while the BJP is doing politics by murdering someone or distributing money. Perhaps they have the arrogance of having power for the first time, which is why they are misusing it.”
She added that the people are frustrated with the BJP’s approach and are seeking change. “People have seen it all and are fed up with BJP’s petty politics. The results tomorrow will reflect their desire for change,” she asserted.
Praniti Shinde also criticized what she called a biased police approach in targeting Congress members caught in vote-buying cases, while allegedly overlooking similar actions by BJP leaders. “Unfair practices should be abolished by all parties, but the police should act impartially. Targeting only Congress members while favouring BJP is not right,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sushil Kumar Shinde urged citizens to vote in large numbers to “keep democracy alive” and condemned the “arrogance and bullying” he perceives in the current ruling setup. “The kind of arrogance and bullying happening in our democracy is very wrong and can endanger it. Everyone needs to take appropriate action,” he stated.
Polling for India’s richest civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), began early Thursday morning, with hundreds of voters queuing to elect 277 new ward members after nearly eight years. Voting began at 7:30 am, with 1,700 candidates contesting in Mumbai.
Apart from Mumbai, municipal elections are being held for 28 other corporations across Maharashtra, with counting scheduled for Friday, January 16.
