On Monday, the Opposition in Maharashtra demanded that upcoming Assembly elections in the state should be held through ballot papers.
According to Indian Express, The NCP leader in the Assembly, Jayant Patil, who initiated the discussion in the last week of the monsoon session, said, “I throw an open challenge to the government to hold Assembly elections with ballot papers instead of EVMs.” The NCP also said that such a move would judge the actual popularity of the BJP-led combine among voters. Raising the demand, NCP group leader Jayant Patil said all that the government needed to do was to move a single-line resolution requesting the Election Commission to hold the polls through ballot papers. His demand came amid a discussion on an Opposition-backed motion on "corruption" in the BJP-led government.
Speaking on the motion, Jayant Patil also alleged that SRA (Slum Rehabilitation Authority) projects are "hubs of corruption". He said the permission for constructing a club on the mangroves land, which is a no development zone, was given by the government to the brother of BJP MLA Narendra Mehta, which is a violation of the high court order. He said the Mira Bhayander municipal corporation had rejected the permission for construction of the club, but the Urban Development department allowed it saying the state highway also passes through the area.
