'You Have Votes, I Have Funds': Ajit Pawar's 'Threat' To Voters In Malegaon

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar set the cat among the pigeons while campaigning for local elections when he appeared to threaten voters, saying he would release funds he had promised only if all of his party's candidates were elected. 

Addressing a rally for the Nagar Panchayat elections at Malegaon in Baramati tehsil on Friday, the NCP chief, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said the party had fielded 18 candidates. 

"The Centre and the state have many schemes. The Prime Minister, chief minister and both deputy chief ministers have worked on these together. If all of us work together and implement these schemes properly, we can ensure development for Malegaon," Pawar said. 

"I will ensure there is no shortage of funds if you elect all 18 NCP candidates. If you elect all of them, I will fulfil whatever I have promised. But if you 'cut' my candidates, I will also "cut" (the funds). You have the power to vote, and I have the power to release funds. Now decide what you want to do," he said.

The Opposition slammed the deputy chief minister's remarks and also wondered why the Election Commission has not taken any action. 

"Funds are given from the taxes paid by the common people and not from Ajit Pawar's house. If a leader like Pawar is threatening voters, what is the Election Commission doing?" Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasheb BT) leader Ambadas Danve was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Elections for Nagar Panchayats will be held on December 2.

Earlier Remarks

This is not the first time Pawar has landed himself in hot water with his comments. In January, he was scheduled to address a public meeting in his Assembly constituency of Baramati when he was handed memoranda with demands. 

An angry Pawar had then said, "You have voted for me, but that doesn't mean you own me."

In September, Pawar had sparked a controversy when he was accused of threatening a woman police officer who was cracking down on illegal excavation in Solapur.

The officer, who had been posted to Maharashtra only recently, was handed a phone by an NCP worker and told Pawar was on the line. She informed the deputy chief minister she did not recognise his voice and asked him to call on her cellphone. 

"Main tere upar action lunga (I will act against you). Tujhe mujhe dekhna hai na? Tera number de do ya WhatsApp call karo. Mera chehra toh aapko samajh mein aaega na? (You want to see me, right? Give me your number or call me on WhatsApp. You will recognise my face, right?)... Itna aapko daring hua hai kya (How dare you?)," he asked the officer, before video-calling her and asking her to stop the action she was taking.

Pawar had later claimed he was not threatening the officer or interfering with the law, but was trying to prevent an escalation in the situation on the ground. 

In 2013, the NCP leader had mocked a farmer who had been on a hunger strike for nearly two months, demanding water be released from a dam in the drought-hit state. 

"There is this person from Solapur, sitting on hunger strike for 55 days, demanding water be released from the dam. But where are we going to get water from? Should we urinate? And when we don't have water to drink, it's hard to pass urine as well," he had said.