The Democratic Front Government in Maharashtra has started showering development funds in crores of rupees on the candidates who had lost last Assembly election on the lines of MLA’s Fund.
Nagpur News.
They say, “The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse. If you can abuse your power you have too much”. The words are proving to be true in real sense of hunger for power. The Democratic Front Government in Maharashtra, ruled by Congress and NCP, has started showering development funds in crores of rupees on their candidates who had lost last Assembly election on the lines of MLA’s Fund. In the height of hunger for power, the lost candidates are being given Rs 50 lakh development fund on a platter. The move is aimed at retaining power in the coming Assembly elections by any means and at any cost in the face of humiliating defeat in Lok Sabha elections.
According to reports, the Congress-NCP combine, ruling the State since past 15 years, has started dreaming to come to power for the fourth consecutive term. With Lok Sabha debacle still pricking like thorn in the flesh and the bloody wound still open, both the parties are leaving no stone unturned and the best way to heal the wounds is to capture power at any cost. A few months ago, the Democratic Front Government had emptied its coffers by giving Rs 10 crore fund to each ruling party MLAs for development of their respective constituencies. The move created a storm with Opposition MLAs questioning rationale behind showering of such a blessing with elections around the corner. However, the Government succeeded in blowing the storm by doling out Rs 2 crore each to Opposition MLAs, too, as development fund, said the reports.
But now, the Congress-NCP leadership has drawn a different strategy and focused the power-capturing-efforts on the party candidates who had faced defeat in the last Assembly elections. The Rural Development Department has instantly made Rs 50 crore available to the “lost” candidates for carrying out development works in their battle fields. Accordingly, the ‘lost’ candidates were specifically invited to Mumbai and were asked to provide a list of priority works. The works were urgently approved and Rs 50 lakh each were also given to the ‘losers.’
The entire exercise also bares a shrewd move by Congress-NCP leadership. In fact, both the parties have “killed two birds” with a single stone. First, the parties have shut the doors for these ‘losers’ and conveyed them the bleak chances of ticket in the coming Assembly election, and second, ensured some development work in constituencies. Either way, the ruling parties would derive advantage in the coming election, said a senior Congress leader.
At the same time, the State Government conveniently neglected the constituencies where the party candidates lost and are now represented by Opposition candidates. But the with elections fast approaching, the Congress-NCP leadership is in hurry to show some development and hence the “lost” candidates too are being showered with development fund of Rs 50 lakh each on the lines of MLA’s Fund.
However, the exercise to retain power at any cost in the face of Lok Sabha decimation on the part of Congress-NCP is not going down well with the other parties and voters, too. This new adventure of funding even the “lost” candidates is being questioned. “With great power there must also come great responsibility. Leaders can also become “intoxicated” by power — engaging in wrong behaviour simply because they can and they can get away with it,” is the assertion of the opponents.
