PUNE: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken a sharp swipe at political parties for giving election tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds in the Pune municipal polls, calling it a contradiction to their public promises of crime-free governance.Referring to repeated assurances about cracking down on gangs such as the “Koyta gang”, Fadnavis said it was “absolutely wrong” to back or nominate individuals with criminal records. He asserted that even if such candidates manage to win elections, they would not end up in the municipal corporation but in jail.“Pune has a population of approximately 6 lakhs. Why was it necessary to give tickets to people with criminal backgrounds as candidates? Everyone says and believes that crime should be eradicated. I have heard many speeches where it was said that the “Koyta gang” would be eliminated from Pune and crime would be rooted out. But the same people who made these statements are now giving tickets to criminals and even speaking in their support. This is absolutely wrong,” said Devendra Fadnavis.“I think the people of Pune will not accept this at all. In this election, I had decided not to make any personal comments, but when such issues come up, the Home Minister in me asks, ‘What is going on?’ On one hand, you say that crime should be eliminated; on the other hand, you give tickets to people with criminal backgrounds. I want to make one thing absolutely clear: even if a criminal wins the election, his place will not be in the municipal corporation, his place will be in jail,” the Maharashtra CM added.The remarks come in the backdrop of a sharp attack by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, who claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) would have even given tickets to relatives of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim had they met him.Addressing a public rally, Raut alleged that the Mahayuti alliance was incapable of winning elections without resorting to hooliganism. He said Pune, once celebrated for its cultural heritage and beauty, has now earned the dubious distinction of being a “city of goons”, and reiterated that the ruling alliance depends on muscle power to secure electoral victories.“Pune was once a very beautiful city, but today it is known as a city of goons. Whether it is the BJP or Ajit Pawar’s party, there is hardly any gang whose relatives have not been given election tickets by these parties. I once said that if these people had met Dawood, they would have given tickets to his brother or relatives, including Chhota Shakeel and Chhota Rajan. These people cannot win elections without hooliganism,” Raut said.The Maharashtra State Election Commission has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state, including key civic bodies such as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Polling will take place on January 15, with votes set to be counted on January 16.(With agency inputs)
