‘Mahayuti govt uses fund allocation as a tool to weaken the opposition and force defections’

MUMBAI: Amid the controversy over the rebellion of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs, allegations of discrimination in development fund allocation have gained fresh momentum. Some rebel MPs claimed that it had become increasingly difficult to retain public support, and cited this as one of the factors influencing their decision to defect to the rival Sena.

Several MPs and MLAs, who accuse the government of denying them adequate funds, allege that the Mahayuti government is using fund allocation as a political tool to weaken opposition leaders. CM Devendra Fadnavis, however, dismissed this, and said that opposition parties should focus on “introspection” rather than attempting to shift the narrative.

Omraje Nimbalkar, a rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) MP from Osmanabad (Dharashiv), on Saturday openly admitted that the “hostile attitude” of the ruling parties had influenced his decision, albeit still on hold, to switch parties. “After the Mahayuti came to power, I was blocked at every level,” he said. “My proposals for development works and even routine projects were not approved. As a result, the same voters who gave me such a huge victory margin in the Lok Sabha elections rejected my candidates in the local polls.”

Nimbalkar said this would eventually uproot him from his parliamentary constituency. “It is not possible to fight alone with inadequate resources against a cash-loaded rival faction,” he said. Therefore, I had no option but to switch sides for political survival.”

Nimbalkar is not alone in his allegations. On June 11, Islampur Gram Panchayat in Malshiras taluka filed a PIL, seeking details of fund allocations and sanctioned works under the Annual District Plan. “The village has not received any funds under the District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) and has been deprived of development,” said the PIL. “Despite repeated demands, our proposals have not been accepted. This has created resentment among residents against the elected body.”

Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, NCP (SP) MP from Madha Lok Sabha constituency, of which Malshiras is a part, said that he and several other gram panchayats in his constituency had not received any funds in the last two years. “That is why the Islampur Gram Panchayat, in its PIL, is also seeking directions to the state government to formulate a transparent policy on the fund allocation,” he said.

Ravindra Waikar, now a Shiv Sena MP, had also approached the Bombay high court when he was a Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA, alleging discrimination in fund allocation by the Mahayuti government. A year later, he joined the Sena.

Amin Patel, Congress MLA from Mumbadevi, reiterated that this was one of the biggest challenges facing opposition legislators. “A certain BJP MLA received ₹200 crore and an NCP legislator received ₹250 crore in the past year,” he said. “In contrast, I was able to secure only ₹10 crore.”

NCP (SP) MP Amar Kale, who alleged that the Wardha DPDC received no funds from the government last year, said that no one had witnessed such politics before. “I’m not saying opposition MLAs and MPs received an equal share during previous Congress-NCP governments,” he said. “However, the ratio used to be around 60:40 or 65:35, not what is happening now.”

Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of the Congress Legislature Party, said that the practice had now become institutionalised. “The government is using the state exchequer as a political tool to force elected representatives to change parties,” he said. “Maharashtra has never witnessed this before. This is not just discrimination; it is also an insult to voters.”

Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the state finance and planning department, dismissed the claims and said that the opposition needed to “introspect”. “Instead of pointing fingers at others, they must honestly assess their own actions and the reasons behind their current predicament,” he said.

Two months ago, the issue had reared its head even in the BMC. Opposition corporators claimed that BJP and Shiv Sena corporators were allocated ₹2 crore each, in addition to the ward-wise ₹1.6 crore earmarked for development works. In contrast, corporators from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress allegedly received only ₹25 lakh.

Officials in the state finance department said they had no role to play in what they termed purely political decisions. A senior official said that even under previous governments, funds were often released based on political affiliations. “Opposition members generally received less than ruling party legislators,” he said. “However, the disparity was never so glaring.”

When contacted, BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban called the charges “politically motivated”. “Funds are allocated through a transparent administrative process based on established rules, project viability and budgetary provisions,” he claimed. “Elected representatives do not switch parties for funds but because of ideology, leadership and political direction. Those joining the Mahayuti are doing so because they are losing faith in their leadership, not because of any pressure or alleged denial of development funds.”