Shiv Sena MLA Hemant Patil Abstains from Maharashtra MLC Polls Citing Corruption and Money Power

With the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections approaching, Shiv Sena MLA Hemant Patil Wednesday announced his decision to stay away from the upcoming polls, and described the election scene as a “farce” driven entirely by money power.

“I do not want to blacken my hands in this brokerage of coal,” Patil told reporters in Nanded, explaining his deliberate absence from the campaign trail for the ruling Mahayuti alliance candidates.

The polling for the vacant Legislative Council seats is scheduled for June 18. Six candidates belonging to the ruling Mahayuti alliance have already been elected unopposed.

Patil alleged that the Council elections have completely abandoned public welfare, changing instead into an exclusive arena for affluent candidates.

“This election is not about the plight of the Marathi Manoos; it is meant only for wealthy candidates,” Patil said.

“Money matters more than anything else here. No one is going to vote in this election without taking money. It makes no difference to anyone, no matter how much we try to reason with them.”

“A massive marketplace has opened up everywhere… It is extremely unfortunate for Maharashtra’s political culture,” he added.

Patil highlighted the shifting loyalties and uncertainty within the state’s alliances as a major factor behind his disillusionment.

“Today, the biggest question is who to sit with and who to trust,” Patil said. “No one can say for sure who the person sitting with us today will be tomorrow. People we are with today are seen in the opposition camp the next morning. There is no certainty left about who will form an alliance with whom in Maharashtra. It is because of this unpredictability that I am staying away.”

He suggested that tactical manoeuvres in the Nanded district were proof of backroom deals. “First, they file nominations, and then they abruptly withdraw them. This pattern clearly shows that large financial transactions are taking place. The entire Nanded district is well aware of what is happening behind the scenes,” he said.

However, he extended his full allegiance to Shiv Sena chief and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

“Eknath Shinde is our supreme leader. The stance he takes is always in the interest of the state and the nation. We, all Shiv Sainiks, stand firmly with him.”