It is important for the Opposition to avoid division of votes in local body polls: Shashikant Shinde

Indian Express

5 days ago

The Opposition must avoid division of votes as contesting elections together will change the outcome of the upcoming local body polls, said Shashikant Shinde, newly appointed Maharashtra president of Nationalist Congress Party (SP). He was speaking at the 'Loksatta Loksamvad' interaction on Monday.
'The election results could be different if all opposition parties managed to come together (for polls). It is clear that they (ruling parties) will try to divide us as much as they can. But the reality is that we coming together will change the scenario. It is important to avoid division of votes,' said Shinde, in an interaction at the office of Marathi newspaper Loksatta.
When asked about the comments from allies, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) about going solo in the upcoming local body polls, Shinde said even his party is aware that there could be different decisions at some districts. 'District units have been asked to take their own decisions. We may not fight together across entire state, but at some strategic places this can happen (alliance),' he said.
Shinde said that during the BJP government, there is lot of pressure on the administrative officials in the state. 'The administration does not have freedom to work. Officials are working under pressure. The administrative system is not impartial,' said Shinde.
Shinde said that in the present time, the voters are being turned into beneficiaries. 'The time of winning elections or coming to power by doing developmental works and fighting on the basis of ideology is behind us. Now the time has come to come to power by announcing schemes and making voters beneficiaries. Through schemes like free houses, free foodgrains, Ladki Bahin Yojana, loan waiver, electricity bill waiver, Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi and Namo Shetkari Samman Nidhi, voters are being made beneficiaries instead of voters,' he said.