SENA LEADER TO QUIT MODI CABINET

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said the party’s Union minister Anant Geete, who looks after the heavy industries portfolio, will be resigning from his post. This technically means that Sena is withdrawing its support to the BJP.

MUMBAI: Despite universal condemnation of the criminalisation of politics in recent years, nearly all the political parties involved in the upcoming assembly polls have fielded candidates facing serious criminal cases.

Two sitting Jalgaon legislators filed their nominations from jail on Friday. Suresh Jain of the Shiv Sena and Gulabrao Deokar of the NCP are key accused in a housing scam and were arrested two years ago. The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court refused to grant them interim bail for the period of elections. NCP’s sitting MLA from Pachora, Dilip Wagh, was arrested on charges of rape three years ago. The NCP had suspended Wagh following his arrest. However, given his political clout and chances of winning, the party has allotted him a seat.

“The cases against most of them are not proved yet,” said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Vijaykumar

DESPITE CRIMINAL CASES SLAPPED AGAINST THEM, THE CANDIDATES STILL WIELD CLOUT. THUS, THE PARTY CANNOT DENY THEM A SEAT

Gavit from Nandurbar and Anil Gote from Dhule City, both accused of corruption.

Gavit’s clout spreads over at least four constituencies in Nandurbar and Dhule. Therefore, the party could not afford to deny him a seat despite earlier admonishing him in the assembly over corruption.

The Shiv Sena has put its weight behind Geeta Gawli, the daughter for former gangster Arun Gawli, currently in jail in a murder case. Geeta is contesting from Byculla, which her father earlier represented.

Ajit Ranade, of the Association for Democratic Reforms, said they will appeal to voters to defeat candidates with a criminal background.