Palghar: Vasai MLA Hitendra Thakur, whose party — Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) — failed to get its regular poll symbol ‘whistle’, Sunday blamed leaders of the ruling parties, and accused them of pressuring the election machinery. He also threatened to approach the Supreme Court against the returning officer and the election machinery for bowing to pressure of the ruling parties. The BVA, which had lost its election symbol of ‘whistle’ to a newly-formed outfit, Friday made a last-ditch effort to get it back, but could not succeed in it.
The BVA has fielded former MP Baliram Jadhav from Palghar Lok Sabha constituency against sitting MP Rajendra Gavit, who is contesting as a Shiv Sena candidate. The Election Commission had allotted the ‘whistle’ symbol to the newly-formed Bahujan Maha Party (BMP) this time. However, after its Palghar candidate withdrew from the election, the BVA staked claim to the symbol. However, returning officer Prashant Narnavre told Thakur early on Saturday that since the ‘whistle’ symbol has already been allotted to the BMP, it could not be given to his or any other party. The BVA has been allotted the ‘auto-rickshaw’ symbol.
Peeved at not getting BVA’s regular poll symbol, Thakur Sunday said, “I will drag the returning officer and the election machinery to the Supreme Court for falling prey to the pressure by the ruling parties.” “We have got the auto-rickshaw symbol. There are thousands of autos running in Vasai belt and each and every auto is our campaigner. Symbol is secondary for us, but the manner in which they pressurised the administration and ensured that the symbol is snatched from us…I want to drag them to court,” he said.
“They thought that symbol is our strength, but our work and workers are our real strength. Our work will speak for itself and we will make every effort to win the seat this time. The ruling party has done nothing great, but only snatched the whistle from us,” he alleged. “Leaders of ruling parties exerted pressure and the administration bowed to it. Hence, I want to expose them. All the people who put pressure on the administration needs to be exposed,” he said. He also accused the Maharashtra minister of being behind the entire episode.
