Devendra Fadnavis accused of eyeing votes with his yatra amid floods

Fadnavis had launched the Mahajanadesh yatra ahead of the state polls but had to suspended on August 6, in view of the torrential rains that lashed Western Maharashtra and Konkan area

As Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is all set to resume his campaign next week, the opposition on Wednesday reportedly accused him of eyeing votes while normalcy is yet to be restored in flood-hit parts of the state.

NCP's chief spokesperson Nawab Malik slammed Fadnavis alleging that the chief minister's 'Mahajanadesh Yatra' only caused the "mahavinash" (great devastation) in the two Western Maharashtra districts of Kolhapur and Sangli.

"He did not make a decision (on tackling the flood situation) in time and worked blithely. Now, he is again after the Mahajanadesh. This proves it is the electoral votes which matter to him the most than the concerns and pain of the people. And this is very painful," Malik said. Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant seconded Malik.

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Sawant said it was expected of Fadnavis to discharge his duties of being a chief minister than to undertake the yatra. "It is the character of this government that it feels content with campaigning and trading votes. He will have to answer questions that are there in the minds of people as he proceeds with his Mahajanadesh," Sawant added.

Fadnavis launched the yatra, a mass outreach initiative ahead of the state assembly elections due later this year, from Amravati district in Vidarbha region on August 1. He, however, suspended the campaign on August 6 in view of the rains wreaking havoc in many parts of the state even as the opposition charged him then with giving priority to the campaign programme. The chief minister is set to resume his yatra from August 21, a BJP functionary informed.

Also Read: Maharashtra floods: Devendra Fadnavis, ministers to donate one-month salary for flood relief

Kolhapur and Sangli are limping back to normalcy as floodwaters have receded in the districts and the main rivers are now also flowing below the danger mark, officials told PTI. Till Tuesday, 6.45 lakh people reportedly were shifted to safer locations in Kolhapur and Sangli, which have been the worst hit due to flooding by heavy rains in Western Maharashtra and Konkan region.

With inputs from PTI

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