Mungantiwar defends CM's speech as part of 'electoral process'

Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar defended Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who had announced that his government has drafted a Rs 6,500-crore Smart city plan for the Kalyan-Dombivli region, and said that whatever he said was part of the "electoral process".
"We had organised a 'Vikas Parishad' (development conference) in the region which was announced by us before the Election Commission declared the dates. Our only motive was to understand common people's views on development and take suggestions from them. We thought that the EC will declare dates around October 5," Mungantiwar told reporters here.
He said that Fadnavis had merely "informed" about his plan to develop the Kalyan-Dombivli region and viewing it from any other perspective would be a mistake.

"The Model Code of Conduct is violated only in three cases. Either a file, concerning the region which goes to polls is signed, money is allocated for a particular region or bhoomipoojan of any project is done, where elections are supposed to be held. None of these things happened," he said.
"What the CM said is merely a part of the electoral process. He explained how he wants to develop the region and from where he intends to raise the money needed for it," Mungantiwar said.
Yesterday, the Congress accused Fadnavis of violating the model code of conduct by announcing a Rs 6,500 crore package to develop Kalyan-Dombivli region in the adjoining Thane district where civic polls will be held on November 1.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is expected to file a complaint against Fadnavis for violating the poll code by announcing a Rs 6,500-crore package for the region, NCP Nawab Malik said today.
Addressing his first public rally for the KDMC poll at Dombivli yesterday, Fadnavis had said that his government has drafted a Rs 6,500-crore smart city plan for the Kalyan-Dombivli region.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister had described benefits of the smart city and appealed people to vote for the BJP so that twin cities could be developed as "smart cities".