Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Opposition on Sunday (November 23, 2025) demanded action by the Election Commission against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar over his recent comments during election campaigning for Malegaon Nagar Panchayat elections, alluding to an alleged threat to voters. The Deputy Chief Minister defended his statement, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought to downplay the controversy.
“Where did I threaten? You saw in Bihar too. Tejaswi said in Bihar that each household will get a job. Everyone has the right to say what they want to say. It is the voters who take a call on who to vote for. The voters are smart. They will decide,” Mr. Pawar told reporters on Sunday (November 23).
The statement came a day after a video clip emerged in which he was seen speaking at a public event, saying, “If you elect all the 18 candidates, I will give you what I have committed. But if you cut on something, even I will put a cut. You have your vote in your hands, I have funds in my hands.”
When asked about it, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Everyone says things during elections. That does not mean anything. Once we get elected, we all work together for the progress of the entire State.”
The Opposition asked why the Election Commission had not taken cognisance of the remarks and sought action against the Deputy Chief Minister. Supriya Sule, MP of the NCP SP and Mr. Pawar’s cousin, said it was the moral responsibility of the Election Commission to keep a check on such statements.
Mahesh Tapase, spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), issued a strong condemnation, saying it amounted to an explicit threat against the democratic rights of the people. “Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the State’s Finance portfolio, shockingly declared to voters that they ‘have votes, I have funds’. These remarks are nothing short of threatening and intimidating the electorate. The Constitution of India vests the real authority in the people, and any attempt by a powerful public office holder to coerce their franchise is a direct attack on democracy itself.”
He sought immediate and stringent action from the Election Commission of India. “How long can the Election Commission remain a silent spectator while a prominent State leader openly threatens voters and tries to leverage State resources for political gain? The ECI must take immediate action against DCM Ajit Pawar as per the law,” he said.
Shiv Sena UBT leader Ambadas Danve said that the Deputy Chief Minister was a mere custodian of public money, and not the owner. “This is like threatening voters. The funds do not come from Ajit Pawar’s personal funds. It is tax-payer’s money. Why is the Election Commission silent on it?” he asked.
Published – November 23, 2025 10:29 pm IST
