If sarpanches are elected directly by people, PM and CM should also be elected directly by them: Ajit Pawar

“When sarpanches are elected directly by the people, it creates problems. In some cases, sarpanches and members do not see eye to eye. They oppose each other’s decisions affecting the development of their villages, and in turn the rural areas,” Pawar said during a felicitation function of sarpanches in Kolhapur Sunday.

“If sarpanches are elected directly by the people, then mayors, chief ministers and even the prime minister should be directly elected by the people. This is our stand,” said Pawar.

In August last year, amid strong objection from the Opposition, the Maharashtra government passed two amendments, under which heads of nagar parishads, panchayats, and sarpanch of gram panchayat can be elected directly by voters.

When the proposal for electing sarpanches directly by the people was placed before the Assembly, the Opposition had questioned it, said Pawar.

Meanwhile, Pawar targetted Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray over his remarks that one or two projects going out of Maharashtra would not have any impact on the state. “At a time when unemployment is growing in Maharashtra, large projects worth crores of rupees have gone out of the state. The unemployed are left worried. If any political leader is supporting such a thing, then it is unfortunate. The rulers, whoever they are, should make efforts to ensure that projects are not allowed to go out of the state.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut said, “Raj Thackeray seems to have taken ‘supari’ of BJP. It is not about one or two projects but at least five projects have gone away from Maharashtra, mainly to Gujarat. The projects went to Gujarat with an eye on the state elections…It is unfortunate that Raj Thackeray is making such statements.”