"Failed in running govt": Nana Patole slams BJP over "conspiracy in voter registration in Maharashtra" allegation

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 20 (ANI): Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole hit out at state BJP president Chandrasekhar Bawankule's "conspiracy in registration of voters" allegation.

Nana Patole demanded the ruling party initially provide an account of "what they did while in power" and added that they have "failed in running the government" in Maharashtra.

The war of words between the BJP and the Congress erupted after Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule alleged a "big conspiracy" in the state's electoral procedures, urging action against officials implicated in vote manipulation.

"What have they done or are doing for the people while in power. They should first give an account of it, there is no use alleging after losing," Nana Patole said while speaking to ANI in Mumbai on Saturday.

"Secondly, if an officer does this, then the control is theirs, and the power is theirs. You have failed in running the government; they do not know how to run the government," the Congress chief said.

Further hitting out at the ruling party, Patole said, "They only know how to sell Maharashtra to Adani and bring drugs from Gujarat to Maharashtra. What can we say about those who do not know how to run the government?"

Bawankule has claimed, "In Dhule and Malegaon Lok Sabha as well as the Assembly constituencies, there are more than 3000 entries which are in Dhule as well as in Malegoan..voter ID number, photo are all are same. When the Election Commission have digitalised everything, why didn't they notice this? The same people would vote in Dhule as well as in Malegoan".

The BJP chief said that they have approached the Election Commission for action in the matter.

"In Maharashtra, I feel like this has happened in 30–40 Assembly constituencies. We have filed a complaint to the Election Commission today. Those officials who are working like this need action, action needs to be taken against them, BJP has put forward this demand. This is a big conspiracy. This is especially the votes of one particular community," he said.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held later this year with the tenure of the current state assembly ending in 2024. However, the Election Commission of India is yet to announce the dates.

In the recent parliamentary elections, the state-level alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won 30 out of the total 48 constituencies in Maharashtra, with Congress emerging as the largest party in the state, with 13 Lok Sabha MPs. Its allies Shiv Sena (UBT) won 9 and the NCP (Sharad Chandra Pawar) won 8 MPs. While the ruling Mahayuti alliance was reduced to 17 seats from 41 in 2019. (ANI)