Mumbai: For the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly Elections, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has written to Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) demanding to include common minorities program in the MVA manifesto to provide justice to the minority community. Some of the important demands include staying love jihad committee on interfaith marriages, scrapping government proposal of invadiating admissions of ITI students by linking them with religion, reservation for Muslims, and socio-economic survey of the Muslim community among others.

Rais Shaikh, SP legislator and MVA candidate from Bhiwandi (East), has written to the MVA leaders such as Prithviraj Chavan from Congress, Jayant Patil from NCP (SP) and Anil Desai from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on the same. In his letter to the MVA leaders, Shaikh has highlighted various issues concerning minority community and the need to address them.

Shaikh has said that the MVA, after coming to power, must examine and stay the Love Jihad Committee. BJP minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha had claimed that there are 1 lakh love jihad cases in the state. However, only over 400 complaints came before the committee, but not a single FIR has been registered in any of these complaints. Also, the proposal based on a committee which submitted a report suggesting to invalidate tribal students admissions in ITI by linking it with religion must be scrapped.

Shaikh has also advocated the need for Muslim reservation and stressed on conducting an extensive socio-economic survey of minority communities to ensure proportionate allocation of funds for various welfare schemes. “Minority students should be granted direct 100% scholarships, similar to those provided for SC, ST, and OBC students, instead of the existing educational loan facility,” added Shaikh.

Shaikh further said that like the Lok Sabha elections, the minority community will stand firmly behind the MVA in assembly elections. “The MVA government will come to power in the state and should implement these crucial issues concerning the minority community within the first 100 days of government,” said Shaikh.

Shaikh’s letter to the MVA leaders also highlighted other important issues such as implementation of various measures for the powerloom sector, enacting a law for the Gig workers, budgetary allocation of Rs 10,000 crore for the Muslim community, among other issues.

Nagpur: Parivartan Mahashakti, a conglomeration of nine smaller parties in Maharashtra loosely dubbed as a ‘third front’, will contest from 121 constituencies in the November 20 state assembly polls. 

“We have come together with a common minimum programme and aim to have a pole position in the coming election. Mahashakti will decide who will rule the state next,” said ex-MP Raju Shetty, a farmers’ leader who helms the Swabhimani Shetkari party, a constituent of the Mahashakti.

Joint Press Conference Held By Parivartan Mahashakti

Addressing a joint press conference here on Monday, the Parivartan Mahashakti leaders Leaders of the combine Shetty, sitting MLA Bachu Kadu, ex-MP Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Bhosale, and ex-MLA Wamanrao Chatap said no government in Maharashtra till date has ever been pro-people and for farmers and this is largely reflected in state budgets. “We will help form a government that will work for the people,” said Kadu, a maverick politician who heads his own Prahar party. He is a three-term MLA from Achalpur in Amravati district of Vidarbha.

Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje of the Swarajya party said he was in touch with Maratha leader Manoj  Jarange and would be meeting him again tomorrow to seek support for the Mahashakti. Another farmers’ leader from Vidarbha and ex-MLA from Rajura inn Chandrapur district Wamanrao Chatap said if Mahashakti comes to power they would focus on sensitive issue of farmers’ suicide. “We will bring 14 lakh hectares of fresh agricultural land in state under irrigation coverage,” said Chatap.

Asked about the stand of Mahashakti on the demand of a separate Vidarbha state, Shetty and Bhosale said it would not be part of the agenda for the coming elections. “Though all constituents support the concept of smaller, better managed states, we will skip the statehood demand for Vidarbha for now,” said Shetty.  Both Chatap and Kadu are strong votaries of Vidarbha as separate state. Mahaskati will release its poll manifesto tomorrow.

Maharashtra DGP Transferred: State DGP Rashmi Shukla has been transferred amidst the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The Election Commission took this decision while acting on the complaints of Congress and other opposition parties. The Election Commission of India ordered the transfer of Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla with immediate effect and directed to hand over her charge to the next most senior IPS officer in the cadre in her place.

At present, Mumbai Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has been given the additional charge of Maharashtra DGP. The Chief Secretary has started the process of selecting the next DGP. In fact, the Chief Secretary has been given time till 05 November 2024 (1.00 pm) for appointment to the post of DGP of Maharashtra. If sources are to be believed, a panel of three IPS officers will have to be sent to the Chief Secretary within this time.

The three most senior officers of Maharashtra cadre are-

1. Sanjay Verma, DG Law and Technology
2. Ritesh Kumar, DG Home Guard
3. Sanjeev Kumar Singhal, DG ACB

Officers were warned to be non-partisan

At the same time, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had earlier warned the officers not only to be impartial during review meetings and announcement of assembly elections in the state, but also warned them to be non-partisan in their conduct while performing their duties.

It is worth noting that the Central Election Commission had received complaints against IPS officer Rashmi Shukla. The code of conduct is in force in Maharashtra in view of the assembly elections. Meanwhile, the Congress had demanded the removal of Rashmi Shukla from the Commission. When the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly election schedule was announced, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar rejected this demand of the Congress. However, now the Election Commission has taken action on this complaint. Congress had expressed apprehension that fair elections are not being held in Maharashtra under the leadership of Rashmi Shukla.

When will the Maharashtra Assembly elections be held?

Voting is to be held in a single phase on all 288 seats in Maharashtra on November 20. After this, the election results will be announced after counting of votes on November 23.