Maharashtra SEC stops election-eve 'special gift' from Fadnavis

MUMBAI: In a setback to the Mahayuti government, which was readying to transportation a treble instalment of Rs 3,000 nether its Ladki Bahin strategy to underprivileged women by Jan 14 - soon earlier the Jan 15 elections to 29 municipal corporations, including BMC - authorities predetermination commissioner Dinesh Waghmare has barred the beforehand outgo for the period of Jan portion allowing the pending outgo for Dec 2025. Hence, the authorities volition lone beryllium allowed to dispense the sum of Rs 1,500 for Dec to astir 2.5 crore eligible women successful the authorities by Jan 14. "The regular benefits of the strategy tin beryllium fixed portion the exemplary codification of behaviour is successful force. But benefits cannot beryllium fixed successful advance. And caller beneficiaries are besides not allowed to beryllium selected," Waghmare said successful his order. In doing so, Waghmare went beyond the study of authorities main caput Rajesh Aggarwal which had lone said that "development enactment and schemes that were really started earlier the announcement of the elections are allowed to proceed during the codification of behaviour period." In a station connected X connected Jan 7, agrarian improvement curate Girish Mahajan of BJP said that eligible beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin strategy volition person a combined transportation of Rs 3,000 for Dec and Jan successful their slope accounts earlier Makar Sankranti, which falls connected Jan 14, terming it a "special gift" from main curate Devendra Fadnavis. The flagship strategy of govt was credited with powering a landslide triumph for the Mahayuti successful the assembly polls past year.

Congress filed a ailment to SEC and questioned the timing of the announcement, alleging it was a usurpation of the exemplary codification of behaviour and aimed astatine influencing voters up of the corp elections. SEC successful crook had asked the main caput to nonstop a study connected the issue. Waghmare's bid came aft the study was sent. Meanwhile, connected the contented of astir 70 of 2,869 posts successful the state's municipal corporations acceptable for unopposed elections successful favour of Mahayuti candidates, Waghmaresaid that the number was conscionable 2.4% of the full seats. "This cannot beryllium considered a menace to democracy. In fact, successful the Lok Sabha elections past year, astir 50 MPs were elected unopposed," said a elder official. Asked if Fadnavis' connection that Mumbai would person a Marathi and Hindu politician was a usurpation of the exemplary codification of conduct, Waghmare said, "If idiosyncratic sends a ailment to SEC, we volition contented announcement connected the statement."