Ajit Pawar condemns violence during local polls, talks about `alliance dharma'

Amid reports of clashes between workers of the Shiv Sena and NCP in Raigad during Tuesdays local body elections in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said violence has no place in democracy.All parties, including the members of the ruling coalition, should maintain discipline, said the NCP chief, adding, Alliance dharma must be honoured by all partners. Among other places, clashes between Shiv Sena and NCP workers were reported in Mahad and Roha in Raigad district, where state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare and the Senas Bharat Gogawale, a minister, are local rivals.

Amid reports of clashes between workers of the Shiv Sena and NCP in Raigad during Tuesday's local body elections in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said violence has no place in democracy.

All parties, including the members of the ruling coalition, should maintain discipline, said the NCP chief, adding, ''Alliance dharma must be honoured by all partners.'' Among other places, clashes between Shiv Sena and NCP workers were reported in Mahad and Roha in Raigad district, where state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare and the Sena's Bharat Gogawale, a minister, are local rivals. ''Violence has no place in our democracy,'' Pawar said in a post on X.

Describing elections as a ''sacred process'', he said every voter must be able to exercise their franchise without fear. ''...Let the people decide who they want to elect,'' Pawar stated, adding that any attempt to disturb peace or influence voters through force was ''against the Constitution and Maharashtra's values.'' ''Such behaviour will not be tolerated,'' he said. As many as 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra went to polls on Tuesday. In many places, ruling alliance partners BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP are contesting against each other.

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