24 April,2024 09:42 AM IST | Amravati/Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Bacchu Kadu. Pic/X
Independent MLA Bacchu Kadu on Tuesday held a protest at a ground in Maharashtra's Amravati district after permission given to him to hold an Lok Sabha elections 2024 rally there on Wednesday was revoked as the BJP has chosen the same venue for a public meeting to be addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, reported news agency PTI.
The development has put the MLA from Achalpur in Amravati district in a confrontation with the ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance though Chief Minister Eknath Shinde sought to downplay the issue, saying priority is given to rallies of "big leaders".
The venue in question is Science Core Ground in Amravati, where Shah is scheduled to address a campaign rally at around 2 pm on Wednesday in support of BJP candidate Navneet Rana. In view of Shah's meeting, the Amravati Zilla Parishad (ZP), which controls the ground, revoked its earlier nod given to Kadu to hold his rally at the same venue on Wednesday (April 24) citing security reasons, reported PTI.
Kadu is the founder of the Prahar Janshakti Party, which supports the Shinde-led government, but has fielded its own candidate from the Amravati Lok Sabha seat.
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On Tuesday, Kadu, along with his supporters, held an agitation at the venue and blamed the Shinde government for revocation of the permission given to his party to use the site, reported PTI.
The legislator created a ruckus and vented his anger at the police administration and sought to know why his party is not being allowed to use the ground to campaign for its candidate, reported PTI.
In Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said priority is given to rallies of "big leaders" and sought to pacify Kadu after speaking to him, reported PTI.
"There should be sportsmanship. Such incidents take place several times, but priority is given to rallies of big leaders. There will be a respectable solution. Talks with him (Kadu) were positive," Shinde said, reported PTI.
BJP nominee Rana, a bete noire of Kadu, is pitted against Congress candidate Balwant Wankhede and Dinesh Bub of the Prahar Janshakti Party in the seat, which she won in 2019 as an independent candidate.
Voting in Amravati will take place on April 26 in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
(With inputs from PTI)
