Overview
- Campaigning for the Malegaon Nagar Panchayat, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar told voters, "You have votes, I have funds," and said he would deliver development only if all 18 candidates from his panel won.
- He made the remarks in Baramati tehsil while seeking a clean sweep for an NCP slate allied with a BJP‑backed panel ahead of the December 2 local‑body polls.
- A video of the speech circulated widely on social media, amplifying the row over whether government schemes were being linked to electoral support.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve and Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal condemned the comments and questioned the absence of action from the Election Commission.
- Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later downplayed the controversy as campaign rhetoric and said the government intends to develop all regions, rejecting chatter about rifts within the ruling alliance.