Mumbai, Nov 28 (NationPress) The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has accused the ruling Mahayuti coalition, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party, of expending between Rs 1,000 and 1,200 crore during the ongoing local body elections in Maharashtra.

In a harsh editorial published by the party's mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, it was asserted that the state's political landscape is ensnared in a relentless cycle of money for power and power for money.

The editorial accused the ruling alliance of attempting to secure victories in municipal elections by funneling vast sums of money into their campaigns. It labeled the Shinde group as a “bubble created from corrupt money”, comprised of members deemed “fake and hypocritical”.

Furthermore, it praised Shiv Sena legislator Nilesh Rane for conducting raids on the residences of BJP functionaries in Konkan, recovering substantial amounts of cash, and likened this action to a responsibility typically shouldered by the Election Commission itself. It was claimed that BJP state president Ravindra Chavan, from the region, had been distributing money during the municipal elections.

The editorial highlighted statements made by ministers from various parties within Mahayuti. It cited State Minister Chandrasekhar Bawankule advising party workers not to worry about funding and to focus solely on winning the elections.

Additionally, it referenced a controversial statement attributed to Shiv Sena Minister Gulabrao Patil, who allegedly said, “We have plenty of goods. Because the Urban Development department is with us. Elections are on December 2. Sleep outside your homes on the night of December 1. Lakshmi will come.”

The editorial demanded Patil's prompt removal from the cabinet.

According to the editorial, each of the three partners in power, namely BJP, Shinde group, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, is reportedly spending around Rs 10 crore for each municipality, leading to a total estimated expenditure of Rs 1,000 to 1,200 crore for the municipal elections.

The Thackeray camp raised questions about the origins of this money, sarcastically noting that “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis doesn’t bring this money from Nagpur’s farming, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde doesn’t get it from Satara farming, or Deputy CM Ajit Pawar doesn’t collect it from the sales of grapes and sugarcane in Baramati,” implying that the funds stemmed from corruption.

The editorial specifically criticized the Urban Development Department under Eknath Shinde, alleging that it has turned into a primary source of illegal funds. It pointed out the disparity between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s frequent denunciations of corruption and what it termed a government reliant on unlawful money.

It noted the contradiction that while Prime Minister Modi speaks out against corruption on a daily basis, his party-led government “floats on illegal money.”

It was further alleged that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had issued contracts worth Rs 2 lakh crore that were never actually realized, and this money had now infiltrated municipal elections through contractors.

The Uddhav camp claimed that Fadnavis is surrounded by corrupt individuals. It suggested that while this might concern Fadnavis internally, Maharashtra suffers a reputational cost. It also criticized both Fadnavis and the Election Commission for their silence regarding overt claims by ministers about distributing money to sway voters.

The editorial argued that multiple significant departments have become conduits for election financing. It stated that Bawankule oversees the revenue department, Shinde heads urban development, and Ajit Pawar controls finance.