Mahayuti gave financial and intellectual bankruptcy: Congress

Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal on Thursday (December 4, 2025) slammed the Mahayuti government, which completes a year in office on Friday (December 5, 2025), accusing it of failing to deliver on key promises such as farm loan waivers and job creation. 

Addressing reporters, Mr. Sapkal alleged that the Mahayuti coalition, comprising the BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena, has ignored critical public issues and presided over rising corruption and crime. “This has been a year marked by financial and intellectual bankruptcy,” he said. 

Raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the recently held local body elections, and demanding urgent intervention by the Election Commission, he claimed that officials at Salekasa Nagar Panchayat in Gondia district reopened 17 EVMs after polling hours and allowed fresh voting, yet no FIR was filed.  

“Such incidents cast serious doubts on the fairness of the election process,” he added. 

The local body polls, conducted after a decade following a Supreme Court directive, have been marred by issues like bogus voting and flawed electoral rolls, Mr. Sapkal said. The Congress plans to hold a rally in New Delhi on December 14 to protest alleged vote manipulation. 

On governance, he accused the State of neglecting farmers hit by heavy rains between May and October. Despite announcing a ₹33,000-crore relief package, the government has neither clarified its implementation nor sought central assistance, he claimed. “This shows a lack of intent to help farmers,” he alleged. 

He also targeted the government over the arrest of Shital Tejwani in the Pune land deal case, calling her a scapegoat while no action was taken against Parth Pawar, son of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. 

Mr. Sapkal further criticised the Nashik civic body’s plan to cut over 1,700 trees in Tapovan for the upcoming Kumbh Mela, saying the move disregards the area’s religious significance and environmental concerns.