Overview
- While campaigning in Malegaon, the Maharashtra deputy chief minister told voters, “You have votes, I have funds,” adding he would ensure development money only if all 18 candidates from his panel won.
- Pawar later said the comments were not a threat and compared them to typical election promises, and on Monday he added that he respects the Model Code of Conduct and has “no debt to anybody.”
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis downplayed the remarks as common during campaigns and said the government would not discriminate in allocating development funds.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve, NCP (Sharad) MP Supriya Sule, and spokesperson Mahesh Tapase called the statement intimidatory and urged EC monitoring and action, with Tapase seeking a public apology.
- No formal EC action was announced by Monday; the Pawar-led NCP is allied with a BJP-backed panel in Malegaon, and voting for Maharashtra’s Nagar Panchayats is set for December 2.