Mumbai: Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Monday at the election rallies in Pandharpur constituency attacked the Maha Vikas Aghadi government saying that it has given a relief of Rs 5,000 crore to the builders but has recovered Rs 5,000 crore from the farmers by disconnecting their power supply. Terming the MVA government the “Maha Vasooli Sarkar,’’ Fadnavis said the state government is a lockdown sarkar. He also told the voters to leave it to him when to change the government in the state.
“People ask me, what difference does a constituency election make? Is this going to change the government? I say leave it to me for change in the government,’’ he noted.
The by-election in Pandharpur-Mangalvedha assembly constituency was necessitated after the death of sitting legislator Bharat Bhalke last year due to the pandemic. NCP has fielded Bhalke’s son Bhagirath Bhalke while BJP has nominated Samadhan Awatade. Both NCP and BJP have made the by-election a prestige issue.
Fadnavis, who has been at the forefront to fire salvos against the state government on a number of issues including corruption, bomb scare case, Mansukh Hiren death case and police transfer racket, stepped up his attack saying that the ministers are staying in their own world as they are not bothered to take care of people affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He strongly criticised the state government for the mishandling of the Covid-19 crisis while passing the buck to the Centre to cover up its failures.
“There are difficulties in all areas. However, the existence of the government is not visible. All the ministers have become self-complacent. The government cannot see anything beyond it. Maharashtra has the highest number of corona cases and the deaths in the second wave. But the state government cannot give them beds, remedies, oxygen,’’ he said.
Fadnavis without naming the former home minister Anil Deshmukh attacked him for his alleged demand for a monthly collection of Rs 100 crore from hotels, restaurants and bars. "What happened in Mumbai is horrible. If the police are being assigned for the collection of money it is deplorable,’’ he claimed.
