The elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats will take place on December 2, and votes will be counted on December 3. More than 1.07 crore voters will elect 6859 members and 288 municipal presidents.
Mumbai: Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Jaykumar Gore has come under fire after he urged women to accept money from whoever is offering it, but not to forget that they get Rs 1,500 every month under the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The minister urged women to remain loyal to CM Fadnavis while voting in the local body polls.
Addressing a poll rally in Solapur, the state Rural Development Minister advised women to accept money from whoever offers it, but to vote only for the BJP-led alliance.
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis brought the Ladki Bahin scheme for the beloved sisters. It was not for any caste or creed, but for our sisters. Even a brother, when he goes to his sister on Raksha Bandhan, looks at his wife while putting Rs 100 on a plate. If the wife nods, he puts it on the plate, otherwise he puts the note back in his pocket,” Gore said.
“Take money from anyone; it does not matter. But don’t vote for them. When you cast your votes, don’t forget the Rs 1,500 given by Devabhau. Stay loyal. If Devabhau is not in power, the money will stop coming into your accounts. You don’t even get Rs 100 from your husbands,” the minister said.
Gore claimed that the CM gave women self-respect. “We have seen that earlier, for Rs 100, they had to reach out to their husbands or to the men in the house. Today, women get money in their accounts. The sister who had to reach out earlier, today her husband asks her, do you have any money left in your account? This respect has been given by Devabhau and the BJP. Do not forget such a brother,” he said.
Taking a swipe at Mahayuti allies, the minister said that although some parties in the ruling dispensation claim that the treasury is with them, the final approval lies with the BJP.
The elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats will take place on December 2, and votes will be counted on December 3. More than 1.07 crore voters will elect 6859 members and 288 municipal presidents.
Criticising the minister, state Congress president Harswardhan Sapkal said the BJP has shamed democracy. “The public admission by ministers only confirms the vote-stealing that Congress and Rahul Gandhi have exposed,” he said.
