Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 30: Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Rohini Khadse has criticised the Maharashtra government following the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) victory in three of the five Legislative Council constituencies, claiming that the ruling dispensation is reluctant to conduct elections using ballot papers.

Speaking to the media after the results, Khadse said the MVA's performance reflected the hard work of party leaders, office-bearers and workers, as well as the confidence shown by voters.

She said three MVA candidates had won by significant margins and described the outcome as a reflection of growing public dissatisfaction with the ruling Mahayuti government.

Khadse particularly highlighted students' anger over paper leak cases, alleging that despite protests and demands for strict action against those responsible, the government had failed to take adequate steps. She said graduate voters had expressed their dissatisfaction through their votes.

“We have faith in elections conducted through ballot papers. However, the government appears afraid of holding elections using ballot papers because the results may not go in its favour,” she alleged.

The MVA secured three of the five seats in the recent Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, while the ruling Mahayuti won the remaining two.

Khadse also spoke about issues emerging during the NCP (SP) women's wing's outreach programme across Maharashtra. She said financial difficulties were forcing several families in rural areas to discontinue their daughters' education, with families often prioritising boys' education while girls were made to leave school because of the financial burden.

She expressed concern over the high number of malnourished children in several districts and said the women's wing was visiting rural areas to understand ground-level problems and bring them to the attention of party leaders and the government.

Khadse further raised concerns over women undergoing hysterectomies, or surgical removal of the uterus, allegedly to avoid menstrual-related difficulties and prevent loss of daily wages. She said the issue was not new in Maharashtra and referred to earlier cases involving women sugarcane cutters who had undergone such procedures.

Describing the situation as unfortunate, she called on the government to take an early decision and provide a separate financial assistance package for women whose employment and livelihoods were affected. She said women should receive additional support if health-related difficulties resulted in loss of wages.

Khadse also urged women facing harassment from finance companies over loan repayments to lodge complaints. She said companies pressuring women to repay loans during the prevailing drought situation could face legal action, as the government had ordered a suspension of coercive loan recovery.

She appealed to affected women to contact the district presidents or office-bearers of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) women's wing, assuring them that the party would make efforts to secure justice.