Mumbai, Sep 27 (PTI) In a swipe at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for criticising Rahul Gandhi, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Sunday said he should resign and work as the Election Commission’s spokesperson if he cannot resolve issues facing drought-hit farmers.
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis dismissed the Opposition’s allegation of vote theft as baseless and accused Rahul Gandhi of attempting to weaken public trust in constitutional bodies like the Election Commission to sow seeds of “anarchy and chaos”.
He rubbished media reports alleging rifts within the poll panel and asserted that all three election commissioners clarified in a joint press statement that decisions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were unanimous.
“Is Fadnavis the spokesperson of the Election Commission? Why is he answering questions raised by the Congress to the poll panel?” Sapkal asked in a statement.
The Congress and several other parties and organisations have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after a recent investigation by The Indian Express claimed that two election commissioners formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to the poll panel’s handling of the SIR process.
Sapkal said questions raised by Rahul Gandhi over electoral rolls and the election process had brought the issue of transparency in the electoral system into focus.
He alleged that instead of responding to the questions with facts, BJP leaders were resorting to personal criticism of Rahul Gandhi.
Referring to Rahul’s earlier claim about an increase in the number of voters in Fadnavis’ constituency within five months, Sapkal said the chief minister should seek answers from the Election Commission rather than defend it.
“If questions have been raised about the functioning of the Election Commission, the panel should answer them. Instead of defending the poll panel, the chief minister should address the issues concerning the people of Maharashtra,” he said.
Sapkal alleged the Fadnavis-led government has failed to adequately address the problems of drought-hit farmers, including crop losses and debt.
“If he could not address these issues, he should resign as chief minister and work full-time as the Election Commission’s spokesperson,” the Congress leader said.
The state government on Saturday declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, or 74 per cent of the state, amid rainfall deficit and announced various relief measures, including crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies.
Sapkal demanded a timeline from the government for the distribution of financial assistance to drought-affected farmers and the start of fodder camps.
“Instead of worrying about Rahul Gandhi, the chief minister should take concrete steps to address the debt burden on farmers, destroyed crops and the financial crisis faced by their families,” the Congress leader said. PTI MR NSK
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