After relatives of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and two other ministers in the state government were elected unopposed in the local body polls, the Opposition has alleged that the BJP used money power and threats to get other candidates to withdraw from the fray.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s cousin Alhad Kaloti was elected unopposed in the Chikhaldara Nagar Panchayat elections. Surprisingly, not one, but all nine opposition candidates withdrew their nomination at the last moment.

Maharashtra Congress leader and former minister Yashomati Thakur alleged that CM Fadnavis misused the government machinery to get his relative elected unopposed. She alleged that the ruling party used money and threats to force other candidates to withdraw.

BJP minister Girish Mahajan, who is close to CM Fadnavis, also succeeded in getting his wife Sadana Mahajan elected unopposed as president of the Jamner Nagar Panchayat. Interestingly, one candidate had filed her nomination but it was cancelled during scrutiny, while the other two candidates from the NCP SP and Congress surprisingly withdrew their nominations at the eleventh hour.