Fadnavis speaks too much on Rahul Gandhi's questions, says Sapkal

A war of words has broken out between the Congress and the BJP in Maharashtra over the functioning of the Election Commission. Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshvardhan Sapkal launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, asking whether Fadnavis had become the Election Commission's spokesperson.

Sapkal said Rahul Gandhi had raised questions about the voter list and the electoral process, and that transparency in the electoral system was an important issue. According to him, instead of answering these questions with facts, BJP leaders were making personal attacks on Rahul Gandhi.

Sapkal also claimed that Rahul Gandhi had raised the issue of an eight percent rise in voters in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's constituency over a five month period. According to Sapkal, this was why Fadnavis kept responding to Rahul Gandhi's criticism.

Taking a dig, Sapkal said that Mughal horses used to see Santaji and Dhanaji even in water, and Fadnavis was now in the same condition, seeing Rahul Gandhi in every question. He demanded that the government give concrete answers on the questions facing farmers, unemployed youth and ordinary citizens.

Sapkal said that if questions had been raised about the Election Commission's functioning, the Commission itself should answer them. He said the Chief Minister should focus on the questions of the people of Maharashtra instead of defending the Commission.

Sapkal also asked when drought-hit people would get financial help, when fodder camps would start, and when compensation would be credited to the accounts of farmers who had suffered losses. Demanding concrete steps on these issues, Sapkal took a dig at Fadnavis, saying that if he could not resolve these questions, he should resign as Chief Minister and work full time as the Election Commission's spokesperson.