BJP claims Pawar breached election code of conduct

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has complained to the state chief election officer that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has violated the model code of conduct at one of his rallies in the Madha Lok Sabha constituency on March 13.

In a letter to the election officer, the BJP Solapur unit president, Rajkujmar Patil, complained that union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar promised to waive the financial liabilities of the agricultural labourers and backward classes at his rally at Natepute in Solapur district.

“The same day, Pawar assured at a rally at Malshiras that he will convince his colleagues in the cabinet to include this shepherd community in the Scheduled Tribe list. This is a breach of the model code of conduct,” said Patil.

NCP spokesperson Madan Bafna ridiculed the complaint. “Loan waiver to labourers and including a shepherd community in the ST list will be part of our election manifesto. At the party’s rally in Nashik, Pawarsaheb said that it was our policy.

Then how it can be violation of code of conduct? BJP is making the allegations out of frustration due to its possible defeat,” he said.

An official from the election commission said they would look into the complaint. “We will take necessary action if we find it genuine,” he added.

Pawar has announced that he will contest the Lok Sabha election from Madha.