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Sahitya Parishad polls marred by alleged state machinery interference
Parivartan Utkarsh Aghadi seeks action against BJP leader Rajesh Pande, alleging misuse of CM’s name and government machinery in the ongoing Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad elections
Pune: The Parivartan Utkarsh Aghadi has sought action against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajesh Pande, alleging misuse of the chief minister’s name and government machinery in the ongoing Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad elections.
Addressing a press conference in the city on Saturday, Parivartan Utkarsh Aghadi chief Vinod Kulkarni said the alleged actions were contrary to the assurance given by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at the 99th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held in Satara. At the event, Fadnavis had said the autonomy of literary institutions would be protected and that the government would not interfere in their functioning. Kulkarni alleged that attempts were now being made to undermine that assurance within a month of the sammelan.
Kulkarni claimed that during a Zoom meeting held on January 26, 2026, Pandey, who is associated with the Pune Book Festival, said efforts to take control of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad were being made with the support and guidance of the chief minister. “Using the chief minister’s name in this manner is misleading,” Kulkarni said, adding that Fadnavis should publicly clarify his stand, as Union minister Nitin Gadkari had done during the Vidarbha Sahitya Sangh elections.
The head of Parivartan Utkarsh Aghadi, which includes prominent literary figures on its panel, alleged that government machinery was being misused during the election process, through financial inducements to branches and voters, and that election norms were being violated.
Kulkarni said his group had approached the chief election officer, seeking the disqualification of Yogesh Soman and candidates, citing statements allegedly made during the Zoom meeting.
Kulkarni alleged attempts to influence postal ballots, deploy workers behind individual voters, and involve local political leaders in the election process, warning that such practices threatened the independence of literary institutions.
He said the Parivartan Utkarsh Aghadi had fielded candidates for all 31 seats in the elections, with 18 representatives elected unopposed from various districts, and urged the election authorities to take the allegations seriously and initiate appropriate action.
Responding to the allegations, Pande issued a press note stating that a complaint had been filed with the Jalgaon cyber police against Kulkarni for allegedly recording a private online meeting without permission.
According to the press release, the complaint was filed by Rajendra Nannaware of Jalgaon. It said the online meeting on January 26, 2026, was a private election-planning meeting related to the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, during which recording was prohibited. “Despite this, Kulkarni allegedly recorded the meeting without consent and later circulated the recording,” the release said, adding that the cyber police have begun an inquiry into the matter.
