Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule with mayor Neeta Thakre and other functionaries addressed media on BJP’s nationwide campaign to save democracy on Sunday
If Kohale was the wrong candidate, how did 64,000 voted for him?” he asked. “In Nagpur alone, there are 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh duplicate names and as many dead voters. Why do only 60% vote and not 100%? Names have been added to the list since 2002, but none have been deleted,” he said.
After they won the seat, their celebrations were over-the-top. The revenue minister added that Congress was always a second choice, but won on a technicality. Congress won by taking second-preference votes.
Nagpur: Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday alleged that Congress lured voters for Nagpur Graduates Constituency polls through “mutton parties” and later celebrated its win lavishly even as “farmers are facing drought”. Congress members could have gone home quietly after victory became official,” said Bawankule. Still, we have to accept the result and move on,” he said. Citing the example of Kamptee assembly constituency represented by him, the minister said voters have names in Kamptee, in Hudkeshwar and also in Jaiprakash Nagar. One person should vote only once,” said Bawankule. “This will become a thing of the past, because the coming voter list will be accurate,” he said.
The minister questioned how Congress can spend on unnecessary things while seeking additional help for farmers. “They talk about drought relief and throw mutton parties. “BJP came first on first-preference votes. All the anti-BJP candidates on the ballot paper gave their second preference to Congress. Dismissing the charge that a weak candidate cost BJP the seat, Bawankule defended Sudhakar Kohale, a former city BJP president and two-time MLA. “Looking at the number of votes he got. Justifying Special Intensive Revision (SIR) across the country, Bawankule linked the low turnout to bloated rolls. “People vote in a nagar panchayat and then come and vote in the municipal corporation. The minister accused Congress of winning through bogus voting.