Maharashtra polls: Sharad Pawar targets Fadnavis-led BJP, calls for throwing out ‘vindictive govt’

The NCP supremo was canvassing for his party nominee, Vijay Ghodmare, an ex-MLA of BJP, who recently joined the NCP and will be contesting against BJP’s sitting MLA Sameer Meghe.

Meghe is the son of the former MP Datta Meghe, who was once very close to Pawar before he decided to join BJP. His family, however, still maintains good relations with the NCP chief.

“I was never a director or even a member of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank. But the BJP government tried to implicate me in a fabricated case involving alleged irregularities in the bank and threatened to have me arrested by the Enforcement Directorate,” Pawar said. He added that when he offered to visit the ED office, they developed cold feet and requested him not to come.

Attacking Chief Minister Fadnavis, the former union minister said, “It is a shame that Nagpur city has turned into a crime capital of the state. The Chief Minister, who himself is from Nagpur and is also the Home Minister, has no control over the situation.”

“Over 16,000 farmers had committed suicide and the youth in the state remain jobless but the government is instead talking about Kashmir’s Article 370,” Pawar added.

Pawar also addressed public meetings in Hinganghat and Katol on Thursday.