Maharashtra polls: Fadnavis kicks off his poll drive in Nagpur amid row over Rahul meet

Devendra Fadnavis launched his campaign in Nagpur amid controversy over Congress's media ban at Rahul Gandhi's upcoming conference on constitutional respect

NAGPUR: Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched his election campaign for the Nagpur South-West assembly constituency with a roadshow on Tuesday, a day before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses the ‘Constitution Respect Conference’ in the city. The Congress’s move to prohibit the media at the venue has stirred controversy, with critics questioning the party’s commitment to upholding freedom of speech and expression.

Nagpur, Nov 05 (ANI): Maharashtra Dy CM and BJP candidate from Nagpur South-West Assembly seat Devendra Fadnavis greets the supporters during a roadshow for the state Assembly elections, in Nagpur on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) (Chandrakant Paddhane)

Fadnavis, however, did not allude to the controversy in his address to the media here on Tuesday morning. A five-time MLA, Fadnavis faces Congress youth leader and state party general secretary, Praful Gudadhe-Patil, whose father Vinod Gudadhe-Patil represented the constituency twice as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. Vinod was the first BJP MLA from Nagpur district and he served as a minister during the BJP-Shiv Sena regime in 1995 but later left to join the Congress.

Fadnavis expressed confidence in securing victory with a comfortable margin. He highlighted the development in his constituency and Nagpur city during his five-year stint as chief minister, and as deputy chief minister in the Mahayuti alliance government. “I have developed my constituency into one of the best in the state, ensuring the MIHAN project operates effectively. Currently, over 100,000 people are employed at MIHAN. For improved healthcare, we established AIIMS in my constituency, along with IIT, IIM and a law university,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled address at the ‘Constitution Respect Conference’ on Wednesday has become embroiled in controversy due to a decision to prohibit media attendance at the event. This move is particularly surprising given the Congress party’s historical commitment to freedom of expression and press independence, raising eyebrows across political circles.

The event’s organisers, the OBC Yuva Adhikar Manch, said the meet will feature social activists, intellectuals and representatives of civic organisations. It will be held at the Suresh Bhat Auditorium in Reshimbagh, located just next to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur. Gandhi has been invited as the keynote speaker, and is expected to emphasise the significance of respecting the Constitution.

Political opponents of the Congress have condemned the grand old party for the media ban, accusing it of pursuing a hidden agenda under the guise of the ‘Constitution Respect Conference’ and questioning its true dedication to upholding free speech. Gandhi is expected to reach Nagpur on Wednesday morning. He will go straight to Deekshabhoomi, where he will pay his respects to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Deekshabhoomi is one of Nagpur’s most iconic landmarks and a significant site of Buddhism, where Dr Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, converted to Buddhism along with thousands of his followers in 1956.

Gandhi will then proceed to Suresh Bhat auditorium, where he will address the OBC conference. Although the conference is being organised by OBC Yuva Adhikar Manch, no representatives of the group have publicly taken the lead in organising the event. Observers suggest that the Congress is, in fact, orchestrating the gathering to court OBC voters ahead of the assembly elections set for November 20.

BJP state spokesperson Chandan Goswami criticised the Congress for blocking media access, claiming that the party has consistently failed to uphold constitutional values. He argued that the Congress’s past constitutional amendments and current actions undermine its credibility in this regard.

In response, Atul Londhe, chief spokesperson for the state Congress, denied any media ban, explaining that the restriction was due to space constraints at the venue. He accused the BJP of misleading the public and the media with “false narratives”. “We are providing live links of the programme to the media so they can cover the event,” he asserted.

Londhe also emphasised that Rahul Gandhi is frequently available to the media, often holding press conferences and interactions, unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has not conducted a single press conference in the last 11 years.