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.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (November 4) hit out at the Congress party and its alliance partners for indecent remarks against women leaders of other parties. The Prime Minister criticised the comments made against Sita Soren by Congress leader Irfan Ansari and remarks against Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC by UBT’s Arvind Sawant in Maharashtra.

“Abhi Maharashtra mein bhi, ek behen chunav lad rahi hai, kaisi gandi bhasha ka prayog kiya gaya unke liye, ye inki aadat hai…”

(In Maharashtra, a sister who is contesting in the elections, dirty and foul language was used against her, this is their habit…) PM Modi said at the rally in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa.

The Prime Minister also added that the people of Maharashtra were waiting to teach the Congress and its alliance partners a lesson in the poll bound state.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant recently kicked up a row after his “imported maal” comment against Shaina NC who is contesting from the Mumbadevi assembly constituency on Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena ticket. Sawant apologised for his comment after huge controversy broke out over his derogatory remark.

The Prime Minister also hit out at Congress leader Irfan Ansari for his “rejected maal ” comment against Sita Soren and said that Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s silence over the matter showed the truth about the JMM. “For power, the JMM is even ready to accept insults hurled at tribal leaders,” the PM said.

Sita Soren had broken down at a press conference when speaking about the comments against her by Irfan Ansari.

Maharashtra will vote on November 20 and Jharkhand will vote in two phases on November 13 and November 20. The counting of votes in both states will be held on November 23.

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.