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Journalism of Courage
Six months after the byelection, the Kasba Assembly is once again gaining prominence in Maharashtra politics with newly elected Congress legislator Ravindra Dhangekar locking horns with the BJP by accusing Pune’s Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil of diverting local area development fund meant for infrastructure development in the constituency.
However, BJP leader Hemant Rasane stated that Patil has no role in it and alleged that Dhanagekar was trying to take credit for the works proposed by the late BJP leader Mukta Tilak, who was elected the legislator of Kasba constituency in 2019.
Following the death of Tilak, Dhangekar defeated Rasane in the BJP bastion of Kasba Peth in the byelections held on February 26 this year.
The loss of BJP in its bastion assumed significance as it was the first election after BJP joined hands with Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and came to power in Maharashtra.
“Deceased BJP legislator Mukta Tilak had planned development work of Rs 10 crore in Kasba assembly segment. I did the follow-up to get the work implemented. But the funds were diverted to another constituency despite the administrative process for starting the works was nearing completion,” Dhangekar said, adding those funds were meant for the development of roads, nallah, footpaths and gardens in the area.
He said the BJP is upset over its loss in bypoll and hence it wants the proposed work to remain in papers. “They are insulting the voters of Kasba and ignoring the work planned by the deceased BJP legislator. I condemn it and would fight against it,” said Dhangekar.
Rasane lashed out at the Congress legislator for “misleading the public” and said the funds for the proposed work were neither approved nor diverted by Minister Chandrakant Patil.
