Are Candidates Being Offered Up to Rs 15 Crore to Withdraw Nominations? Raj Thackeray Speaks Out
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Thane, Jan 12 (NationPress) As the Municipal Corporation elections intensify, MNS Chief Raj Thackeray made serious accusations against the ruling MahaYuti alliance on Monday.
At a joint public rally with Uddhav Thackeray in Thane, Raj Thackeray claimed that the ruling parties are attempting to "purchase" candidates and are leveraging financial influence to manipulate the democratic process.
He asserted that substantial amounts of money are being funneled to coerce candidates from the opposition out of the race.
"Candidates have been offered between Rs 1 crore and Rs 15 crore to withdraw their nominations," he alleged.
He provided specific examples, stating that three members of one family contesting in a single ward were presented with a total of Rs 15 crore, which they declined.
Raj Thackeray further claimed that a female candidate was offered Rs 5 crore, while another was offered Rs 1 crore to step aside. He sharply criticized the current political climate in the Kalyan-Dombivli region.
"During my recent visit to Kalyan-Dombivli, I witnessed overwhelming support. However, the election has been turned into a 'market of slaves.' If you genuinely contributed to development, why distribute Rs 5,000 per household?" he questioned.
He also ridiculed the internal strife within the MahaYuti, stating, "BJP workers are distributing money while Eknath Shinde’s Sena workers are seizing it. There seems to be confusion within this government."
The MNS chief did not hold back in his criticism of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, particularly concerning the influence of a select few industrialists. "Devendra Fadnavis, who is this for?" he asked.
Referring to Fadnavis as a "falcon" merely hunting for others, Raj Thackeray played a video during the rally to counter remarks made by BJP leader K Annamalai.
He accused Fadnavis of misrepresenting statements from Annamalai, who allegedly claimed that Mumbai is disconnected from Maharashtra.
"I believed Fadnavis understood English, yet he blatantly lies by asserting Annamalai's comments are misinterpreted. They aim to erase the Marathi identity of our cities," he stated, emphasizing that his opposition is not against the Gujarati community but against the "conspiracies" against the state.