Enough issues to counter BJP in civic polls: Cong, NCP & Sena

Nagpur: The local BJP unit seems to have optimized to target the three main constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ahead of civic polls due next year. While cornering the government on alleged pending payments in a housing scheme for low income families, BJP may manage to garner goodwill from the scheme’s beneficiaries while targeting the main opponents.
Officially, BJP denies that their agitation for Ramai Awaas Yojna beneficiaries is a poll gimmick, but Congress says the saffron party will have to answer for more.
MLA Vikas Thakre, who is also Congress’s city president, said, “We simply have to pull out their manifesto and the list of unfulfilled promises will be exposed. For the last 15 years, BJP has been fooling Nagpurians and now they are doing all this to divert attention.”
Thakre said the pothole-ridden city streets alone are enough to corner BJP. “There are so many things wrong here that we have to think which issue to pick up. Our city roads are in bad shape while everyone can see. Then there are so many pockets in Nagpur that still rely on water tanker, so what exactly happened to their promise of providing it 24/7?” said Thakre.
Shiv Sena’s sampark pramukh and MLC Dushyant Chaturvedi said when it comes to housing, BJP itself has a lot to answer for. “The patte vaatap (notified slum plot allotment) beneficiaries are still waiting, so hope BJP is listening to their pleas. According to the 2002 GR regarding the same issue, thousands of people benefited in Nagpur. But then in 2016, the GR was modified due to which not even hundred people have been allotted. Now, people can’t even take loan against the land allotted to them,” said Chaturvedi.
He added that Nagpur has turned into a concrete jungle with very few public gardens for citizens.
NCP leader Prakash Gajbhiye said BJP must first focus on getting water in every tap. “The way NMC is functioning itself raises so many questions about what exactly is going on there. Complete mismanagement. I can cite so many localities that are not getting drinking water since many years. BJP should first try to solve basic problems of people,” said Gajbhiye.