Ajit Pawar told Malegaon voters he would ensure ample funds only if all 18 NCP candidates were elected, prompting backlash.
Opposition leaders slammed him for “threatening voters,” stressing that public funds come from taxpayers, not politicians.
The comments come ahead of the December 2 Nagar Panchayat polls, where BJP and Pawar-led NCP are contesting together.
Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, has assured voters in the Malegaon district that if they accept his party's candidates, he will ensure the town has sufficient funds. However, if they reject them, he will "reject" them as well.
On Friday, Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, was running for the Malegaon Nagar Panchayat in Baramati tehsil.
Notably, he is in charge of the BJP-NCP-Shiv Sena government's finance portfolio
"I will ensure there is no shortage of funds if you elect all 18 NCP candidates. If you elect all 18 candidates, I am committed to give whatever I have promised. But if you reject, I will also reject. You have votes, I have funds," he said.
The remarks drew flak from the Opposition, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve accusing Pawar of threatening voters.
"Funds are given from the taxes paid by the common people and not from Ajit Pawar's house. If a leader like Pawar is threatening voters, what is the Election Commission doing?" he asked.
On December 2, Nagar Panchayat elections are planned. In Malegaon, a panel supported by the BJP and the Pawar-led NCP have united.
