‘Sena-cong fixing began before Assembly polls’

MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar has stirred up controversy by saying the Shiv Sena and Congress indulged in ‘fixing’ for Latur rural seat during 2019 Assembly polls.

Talking to media persons in his hometown Latur, Nilangekar said that the deal between the Sena and Congress was ‘cheating’ with the electorate and local people who would not forgive the betrayal. He also alleged that the two parties were working on tacit deals even before the Assembly polls which became clear when the Sena ditched the BJP and formed government with the Congress and NCP.

Nilangekar alleged the fixing was done to help Congress candidate Dhiraj Deshmukh to win from Latur rural constituency in exchange of help by local Congress leaders to ensure victory of BJP candidate Abhimanyu Pawar in Ausa, a traditional Congress seat in the same district.

This comment has, however, put the state BJP leadership in an embarrassing position as it indicates that the BJP took help of local Congress leaders to win an Assembly seat.

Dhiraj Deshmukh is youngest son of former chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh and brother of medical education minister Amit Deshmukh. Pawar was personal assistant of then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

In 2019 elections, BJP left the Latur rural seat to the Sena as part of the seat-sharing pact between the two parties which contested as an alliance. The Sena fielded a weak candidate making it easier for Deshmukh

Ato win the seat, according to Nilangekar.

“We had scored well in the 2014 elections by polling 93,000 votes. It was a favourable seat for the BJP. Despite that, it was given to the Sena as part ‘fixing’ for a Mumbai seat. Dhiraj Deshmukh won against NOTA option which saw 28,000 votes and the Sena candidate was thrown to third position,” he said.

According to his aides, the adjustment was done for Ausa constituency which was held by Congress’s Basavraj Patil. They said Congress’s local leadership tacitly helped BJP candidate Pawar to win Ausa, assumed to be a Congress stronghold.

During the 2019 elections there were reports that local Sena leaders and workers, too, were upset over their candidate Sachin Deshmukh. The workers had put up posts on social media saying their candidate had gone missing. Sena workers had also stormed the local party office to raise voice against the candidature. NOTA getting more votes than the Sena candidate was believably the anger expressed through the voting machine.

BJP sought to play down the allegations. “I think whatever Nilangekar said has been misquoted by the media. I am sure he is a loyal party leader and would not cross the framework of party discipline. No party leader will resort to any irresponsible statement,” said leader of opposition Pravin Darekar.

BJP state chief Chandrakant Patil chose to keep mum saying, “I have not heard the statement yet. I will speak about it after getting information about it.”

Congress leader Amit Deshmukh said Nilangekar should seek clarification from the state BJP leadership on what happened. “The Sena and BJP fought the elections in alliance and the candidates were finalised by them. His allegations are to seek attention of the people. He should clarify which BJP leader was involved in the fixing,”deshmukh said.

Former Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire said, “The allegations are baseless as the Sena fought the election with full fervour. The allegations are out of the old rivalry between Deshmukhs and Nilangekars.”