Nagpur, Jan 15 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday appealed to the people to turn out in large numbers to vote in the civic polls, saying widespread participation was key to building better cities.
Speaking to reporters after exercising his franchise in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation polls, Fadnavis said not voting amounts to a dereliction of responsibility.
Voting was underway on Thursday for 29 municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai and Nagpur.
“I appeal to everyone to come out and vote to create better cities,” he said.
Fadnavis slammed the Opposition for casting doubts on institutions like the State Election Commission.
“They should write a new script and stop practising what they will speak tomorrow after defeat. Our win is sure in all the 29 corporations,” the senior BJP leader said.
Fadnavis also said that the Opposition’s criticism of the Printing Auxiliary Display (PAD) units during the civic elections was unnecessary, and asserted that the machines will be used if the EVMs do not function. There will be data stored in the PAD units, he added.
The machine was shown to all political party representatives in Mumbai, he pointed out.
PAD units are being used in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls for the first time to facilitate vote counting in the event of technical glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs).
They will act as backup units, BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani had said, adding that these, like the other EVM units, will remain with Returning Officers and will be used only in case of emergency.
Asked whether he will find time to rest after the civic polls, Fadnavis said there is no time to relax as he is soon slated to go to Davos (for the World Economic Forum meet from January 17) and later start preparations for the zilla parishad polls.
He accused the Congress of the brutal attack on Nagpur’s ward no. 11 BJP candidate Bhushan Shingne on Wednesday night.
The Opposition has resorted to attacks as it cannot win the election, he added.
Shingne went to the Gorewada area on Wednesday after he came to know that some anti-social elements were trying to vitiate the atmosphere and distribute money, BJP city chief Dayashankar Tiwari told reporters.
But when Shingne reached the spot, he was allegedly attacked by a group of more than 100 persons and suffered injuries, he said.
Based on a complaint, a case has been registered against one person and others, who are yet to be identified, a senior police official said. PTI MR GK
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