Belagavi: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was ‘greeted’ with black flags and t-shirts by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) members on Thursday for campaigning against its candidate in Belagavi North constituency.
The MES, hoping to win Belagavi south and rural constituencies among the six constituencies it is contesting, had appealed to the Maharashtra political leaders not to campaign for their parties where it is contesting.
Soon after Fadnavis entered the venue at Tilak Chowk, about a hundred MES workers wore black shirts and displayed black flags and shawls at him. “Go back betrayer Fadnavis,” they shouted. Subsequently, the police took several of them into custody and released them after Fadnavis’s programme ended, reports said.
With the entry of Maharashtra politicians, the MES suffered a setback as it is worried about its poll prospects. With the hope of winning at least two out of the six seats in the Belagavi district, MES had recently met and appealed to the chiefs of Congress, BJP and Shiv Sena factions to refrain from all election activities.
However, besides Fadnavis, Congress has deputed its leaders and former Maharashtra Chief Ministers Prithviraj Chauhan and Ashok Chavan for campaigning. Chauhan commenced his campaign on Tuesday, and Ashok Chavan campaigned on Thursday. Both leaders held separate road shows and held public rallies.
