NCP (SP) files 200 plaints against Ajit-led party over poll 'malpractices'

Pune: The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Tuesday lodged more than 200 complaints against the NCP led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati constituency of Pune district for allegedly indulging in malpractices like cash distribution to voters, party MLA Rohit Pawar claimed.

Voting for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency along with 10 others in Maharashtra was held on Tuesday.

Baramati is the home turf of the politically influential Pawar family. Sharad Pawar has represented the Baramati Lok Sabha seat several times in the past. His daughter Supriya Sule has been the Baramati MP since 2009 and is seeking to retain the seat for the fourth term.

Ajit Pawar, who rebelled against his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar in July 2023 and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government, fielded his wife Sunetra from the constituency.

NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar took to social media to post a video of Indapur MLA Dattatray Bharne, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, in which he is seen hurling abuses at someone.

The party lodged a complaint against Bharne to the Election Commission of India (ECI), in which it stated that the NCP MLA intimidated and threatened voters, thereby effectively unlawfully seizing control of a polling booth in Indapur.

"Datatray Bharne is seen engaging in verbal abuse towards booth workers and issuing threats to them, employing vulgar language," reads the complaint.

Rohit Pawar said his party - the NCP (SP) - has filed more than 150 complaints against the ruling NCP that are serious in nature.

"Besides them, 80 to 90 complaints are related to cash distribution and intimidation," he said.

The voters are supporting the NCP (SP), he added.

Baramati Lok Sabha constituency's returning officer Kavita Dwivedi said that so far her office has received several complaints from the NCP (SP).

"Today, we received 26 to 27 complaints from the NCP (SP) against the rival faction. All these complaints are related to alleged cash distribution, intimidation of voters, seeking time extension for polling. In some cases, we have already taken action, while in some cases, the work of verification is on. The election officials are looking into these complaints," she said.

When asked whether the Ajit Pawar faction has filed any cross complaint, she said no such complaint was filed during the day.

Supriya Sule reached Indapur and spoke to her party workers on the incident involving Bharne's alleged intimidation, and said she was shocked to know about it.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar refuted the allegations of NCP (SP) and said he has seen Bharne's explanation over the incident, in which he said that he tried to pacify those involved in a dispute and that had he not intervened, one person would have been beaten up by others.

Speaking about Rohit Pawar's allegations, the deputy CM sarcastically said, "Rohit has an excellent team of social media and he is always ahead in social media rather than doing actual work." "Since he belongs to the current generation, he knows how to use social media. As far as his allegations regarding the PDCC bank in Bhor, I would like to ask them to check the CCTV cameras as well as facts. He is so expert in social media that he can manipulate things through it," he said.

"The lection Commission and police are free to probe the incidents," he said.

The Pune police on Tuesday registered a non-cognisable offence against five persons after NCP (SP{) alleged that some individuals belonging to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP distributed cash to voters in Bhor town of the district ahead of the polling for Baramati Lok Sabha seat.

Rohit Pawar claimed the cash was being distributed in Bhor by the ruling NCP and alleged that a cooperative bank in Bhor was kept open till late Monday night. However, Ajit Pawar has refuted the allegations.

Meanwhile, police registered a case against the manager of Pune District Central Cooperative Bank (PDCC), which was kept open till midnight on Monday, a day before polling in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency.

"We had sought an explanation from the bank. However, he (manager) was not ready to give the keys to access the CCTV footage. As he was not cooperating, we registered an offence against him. Keeping the bank open till midnight when the model code of conduct is in force, leads to suspicion. The question is what was the need to keep the bank open till that hour," said Kavita Dwivedi, returning officer, Baramati constituency.

An officer from the Bhor police station in Pune district said the case was registered under section 188 of IPC (disobedience of an order that is duly promulgated by a public servant).