Nashik: State BJP chief Ravindra Chavan on Sunday said the party has decided that the relatives of its MLAs and MPs would not be given any official post in municipal corporations even if they get elected in the Jan 15 civic polls across 29 cities.He told reporters that BJP had resolved not to give tickets to the relatives of sitting legislators. The decision, taken just days before the election process began, has been implemented wherever possible, he said. When it was pointed that “different rules were applied at different places”—MLA Suresh Bhole’s son Vishal was elected unopposed in Jalgaon, while MLA Devyani Pharande’s son Ajinkya Pharande and MLA Seema Hiray’s daughter Rashmi Hiray withdrew their nominations after the party’s directive—Chavan said the decision was uniform and time-bound. He, however, acknowledged that the directive did not reach some areas in time, resulting in a few relatives of legislators entering the fray. “Even in such cases, the party will not assign any post to them.” Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan asserted that the party win the elections to 10 major municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar. He expressed confidence that MVA won’t win a single civic body in the state. —Tushar Pawar
