Maharashtra Poll Pourri: Yogi Adityanath terms Nitin Gadkari ‘Aajatshatru’; traffic chaos after PM rally

No posters, no banners

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first Lok Sabha poll campaign rally in Maharashtra from Chandrapur in Vidarbha region, there was not a single BJP banner or poster in Chandrapur district and even at the venue. This became the talk of the town on Monday. The unusual move of not putting up welcome banners or posters and BJP flags came at a time when Congress candidate Pratibha Dhanorkar who is contesting against BJP’s Sudhir Mungantiwar had put up several huge hoardings of herself having a message that describes BJP government as an “autocratic regime” and asking people to vote for her in order to save democracy.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Addressing a public rally in Chandrapur, PM Narendra Modi says, “…This is Chandrapur, which sent wood for the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. The wood from Chandrapur was also used in the new Parliament building. The fame of Chandrapur has… pic.twitter.com/5qN60E8VLE

— ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2024

Traffic chaos after PM rally

Soon after PM Modi left, the entire city witnessed a heavy traffic jam for over four hours and all senior police officials along with the army of police personnel were busy manning traffic for over hours. The scenes included brasking down of several vehicles and attendees including women, elders and children getting stuck in the jam.

As the rally venue was nearly three kilometres inside the main road in an open field, thousands of people struggled to leave the venue and reach their destination.

The area got cleared only after 10pm on Monday even as the rally ended at 6pm.

Dharshiv BJP leaders upset

BJPs decision to give Dharshiv Lok Sabha seat to alliance partner NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has upset local leaders. The Dharashiv BJP unit has expressed its displeasure with state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. In the seat division Dharshiv ( earlier Osmanabad) has been awarded to NCP which has fielded Archana Patil as its official candidate. Archana Patil is wife of BJP MLA Rana Jagjitsinh Patil.