Overview
- State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal lodged a complaint with the Maharashtra SEC accusing Chandrakant Patil of urging Opposition candidates to withdraw.
- Patil, the higher and technical education minister, allegedly told rivals at a Sangli event that they had no chance of winning and should not waste time and money.
- The complaint cites a Model Code of Conduct breach on the eve of the last date for withdrawing nominations for local-body polls.
- Congress seeks registration of a case and a bar on Patil from holding election-related public meetings to prevent influence on the process.
- SEC action is pending as elections for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis are scheduled for February 5, with Congress warning of pressure on candidates.