Desk | Nagpur

Amid the backdrop of the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections from the Local Self-Government Constituencies, a political storm has erupted in Vidarbha over reports of several Congress corporators allegedly becoming “not reachable.” The issue has triggered a sharp war of words between Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar, with both sides accusing each other of political manipulation ahead of the crucial polls.

Speaking to the media in Nagpur on Monday, Bawankule mocked the Congress leadership over the disappearance of some of its corporators and municipal council presidents from East Vidarbha. He questioned where the Congress representatives had gone and claimed that even leaders from Wadettiwar’s own constituency were currently “not reachable.” Bawankule stated that the BJP and the Mahayuti alliance had nothing to do with the issue and advised Congress leaders to first locate their own elected representatives.

The senior BJP leader further asserted that the Mahayuti alliance enjoys overwhelming support in the local body electorate. According to him, out of nearly 800 votes in Nagpur, around 600 are in favour of the BJP-led alliance, making the contest largely one-sided. He expressed confidence that the Mahayuti would secure all 17 seats in the Legislative Council elections.

Bawankule also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly appealed for reducing unnecessary election expenditure. In line with this, he revealed plans to hold discussions with leaders such as Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal to explore the possibility of unopposed elections wherever the numbers are clearly in favour of one side.

On the other hand, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar launched a fierce attack on the ruling alliance, alleging that large-scale financial transactions are taking place to influence corporators. He claimed that some corporators had been offered token amounts of ₹5 lakh, while others were allegedly being lured with offers reaching ₹15 lakh. Wadettiwar questioned the future of democracy if industrialists, contractors, and money power begin deciding public representatives.

He also warned that strict action would be taken against Congress corporators violating the party whip, including possible cancellation of their membership. Meanwhile, discussions regarding the possible candidature of businessman Arun Lakhani for the Legislative Council have also intensified, though Bawankule clarified that the final decision rests with the BJP central leadership.