<ul><li>One of the 14 women candidates fielding from Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra, <keyword id="6367940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pankaja-munde">Pankaja Munde</keyword> loses to her cousin <keyword id="287548" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhananjay-Munde">Dhananjay Munde</keyword> of <keyword id="54794" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nationalist-Congress-Party">Nationalist Congress Party</keyword> from the Parli constituency in Beed district.</li><li>She defeated Dhananjay Panditrao Munde of opposing Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2014 elections by a margin of 25,895 votes. </li><li>In 2016, Pankaja was accused in ‘Chikki scam’ for violating rules for procuring goods worth ₹206 crore, but was given a clean chit later.</li></ul>One of the 14 women candidates fielding from Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra, Pankaja Munde is trailing behind her cousin Dhananjay Munde of Nationalist Congress Party from the Parli constituency in Beed district. Dhananjay is leading by 30,701 votes. She faced a tough fight against Zaydatta Kshirsagar from Shiv Sena and her cousin Dhananjay Panditrao Munde. Honoured with ‘Powerful Politician’ award in 2017, Pankaja was expected to win the Parli assembly seat in Beed district, <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/elections/maharashtra-exit-poll-bjps-pankaja-munde-projected-to-retain-parli.html">according to exit polls</a> by Republic TV. She defeated her cousin in 2014 elections by a margin of 25,895 votes. That accounts for 13.24% of the total votes in Parli. The two cousins — Pankaja and Dhananjay — have been in talks over their political rivalry. An FIR was filed against Dhananjay for passing offensive remarks against Pankaja in an election rally. A businesswoman in the sugar factory sector and Maharashtra’s Minister of Rural Development, Women and Child Welfare, Pankaja was aggressively involved in election campaigns — attending almost five rallies a day. In 2016, Pankaja was accused in ‘<a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/india/west/story/pankaja-munde-rs-206-crore-scam-chikki-scam-fadnavis-259462-2015-06-24">Chikki scam</a>’ for violating rules for procuring goods worth ₹206 crore. Pankaja refuted the allegations against her and dismissed demands of resignation. The Maharashtra AntiCorruption Bureau (ACB), however, gave her a clean chit. Pankaja Munde has had a family history in Indian politics. She is the daughter of BJP’s Gopinath Munde — who was a five-time MLA in Maharashtra and popularly called as ‘Lokneta.’ In the 2014 elections, Gopinath won in Beed district and also took up a union minister position. However, as fate would have wanted it, he died of a heart attack while in a car within a week of taking charge. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/aamir-khan-bachchans-madhuri-dixit-and-others-vote-during-the-maharashtra-assembly-election-2019/articleshow/71690198.cms">Stars shine at Maharashtra Assembly election polling booths</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/drugs-money-and-liquor-seizures-grow-five-fold-in-maharashtra-and-triple-in-haryana-during-the-assembly-election/articleshow/71691582.cms">Drugs, money and liquor — seizures grow five-fold in Maharashtra and triple in Haryana during the Assembly election</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/highlights-of-maharashtra-state-assembly-elections-from-1991-to-2019/articleshow/71641686.cms">Why so boring? Maharashtra state assembly elections 2019</a>

Pankaja Munde trailing behind NCP's  Dhananjay Munde by 30,701 votes from Parli constituency

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47803572.cms" /> Looks like Maharashtra's Women and <keyword id="493211" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Child-Development-Minister">Child Development Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6367940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pankaja-Munde">Pankaja Munde</keyword> will be in neck deep trouble following allegations that she cleared purchases worth Rs 206 crore through 24 Government Resolutions on a single day instead of inviting tenders. 

	The alleged purchases relate to a host of items including snacks and books for children in institutions across the state.
 Congress and other opposition parties did not miss the opportunity to attack on the winning party. Dubbing it as a "big scam", Congress and other opposition parties attacked the 8-month-old BJP-led government headed by <keyword id="6355042" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Devendra-Fadnavis">Devendra Fadnavis</keyword>. Former chief minister and Congress leader <keyword id="6356262" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prithviraj-Chavan">Prithviraj Chavan</keyword> demanded a CBI inquiry and said the scam exposed the "true colours" of the government. Asked if he would demand Munde's resignation, Chavan said, "Be it Pankaja Munde or Vinod Tawade (education minister caught in a row over educational qualification), this government would not remove anyone. After all, this is the policy of the Modi government to brazen out all allegations." "The scam has exposed the real character of this government. The Minister (Munde) must give an explanation on the issue", Chavan said. 

	The scam first came to light on June 15, when the office of Pankaja Munde received a letter from Ahmednagar Zila Parishad president Manjushree Gund complaining about the quality of chikki (a popular snack) distributed to tribal students under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Gund said the chikki was contaminated with clay. 
	 
	 

	This is the first time that an alleged scam of this magnitude has come to light after the BJP-Shiv Sena government took office.
 

	All purchases were cleared by Munde, daughter of BJP stalwart late Gopinath Munde on a single day on February 13 through 24 Government Resolutions (GR). 
	 
	 

	As per norms, all government purchases above Rs 3 lakh have to be done through e-tendering. Fadnavis has banned purchases through the rate contract system, in which material is purchased after rates have been negotiated.
 

	Pankaja Munde was unavailable for comments. An official in her department said the minister was out of India and was expected to return on June 28. 

	 
	 
	(image credits: shahernama.com)

Maharashtra Minister allegedly involved Rs. 206 crore scam

<ul><li>Maharashtra’s two-time MLA <keyword id="6511965" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pankaj-bhujbal">Pankaj Bhujbal</keyword> of Nationalist Congress Party is trailing behind Shiv Sena's Suhasanna Dwarkanath Kande from Nandgaon in Nashik district. </li><li>Kande is leading with 85275 votes and 44.85% vote share. </li><li>Pankaj Bhujbal has 71386 votes with 37.5% share. </li></ul>Maharashtra’s two-time MLA Pankaj Bhujbal of Nationalist Congress Party is trailing behind Shiv Sena’s Suhasanna Dwarkanath Kande from Nandgaon in Nashik district. Kande is leading with 85275 votes and 44.85% vote share. Pankaj Bhujbal has 71386 votes with 37.5% share. The NCP is in alliance with Indian National Congress (INC) this election. Both the two parties announced that they will contest for 125 assembly seats, each. Also read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/maharashtra-exit-poll-2019-pankaja-munde-may-exercise-power-for-third-consecutive-term/articleshow/71715063.cms">Pankaja Munde trailing from Parli constituency, faces tough competition from Dhananjay Munde</a> Bhujbal, who is the son of the veteran leader Chhagan Bhujbal is facing a strong fight against Shiv Sena’s Subhash Kande. In 2014 assembly elections, Bhujbal defeated Kande by a margin of over 18,000 votes. Pankaj started his political career with Shiv Sena and switched to Congress party in 1991 after disputes with the late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. But soon after Sharad Pawar left Congress, Bhujbal also moved to the Nationalist Congress Party. The father-son duo had been actively campaigning for this election. However, what might go against Bhujbal this election is his ‘little’ contribution to resolve the challenges of water scarcity faced by the people in this constituency. Also read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/chandrakant-patils-maharashtra-assembly-results-2019-in-kothrud/articleshow/71734771.cms">Kothrud could be anybody's seat now as Shinde and Chandrakant Patil head for a nailbiting finish</a> <keyword id="61754" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chaggan-Bhujbal">Chaggan Bhujbal</keyword>, who is also contesting from Yevuda defended Pankaj saying that “He has worked overtime to resolve the water problem. In fact, he ensured five times more water for Manmad in the last few years and spent ₹42 crore for water supply projects in the town.” The former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Chaggan Bhujbal was also accused in a money laundering case under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act. After two years of jail term, he is currently out on bail. He was arrested in 2016 by the Enforcement Directorate. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/dynasty-candidates-contesting-haryana-and-maharashtra-assembly-election-2019/articleshow/71734588.cms">Dynasty candidates contesting Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections 2019</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/drugs-money-and-liquor-seizures-grow-five-fold-in-maharashtra-and-triple-in-haryana-during-the-assembly-election/articleshow/71691582.cms">Drugs, money and liquor — seizures grow five-fold in Maharashtra and triple in Haryana during the Assembly election</a>

Pankaj Bhujbal is trailing by 13889 votes and 7% vote share from Nandgaon, Nashik

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50352890.cms" />Every year has its own share of controversies and interesting twists and turns play a crucial role in the events. The year 2015 was no exception either. This year too, the country had its incidents, incidences and things that cropped up as aftermath, making some of them hot cakes in terms of news this year. 
 
As we close in on wrapping up the year, here’s what made the headlines in 2015 and shaped the country’s opinion both, socially and politically, sometimes ushering in major change in perception about the country in the world’s eyes. 
 
<keyword id="3119826" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Award-Wapsi">Award Wapsi</keyword> This must have been the most significant event of the year and happened right before the <keyword id="175111" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bihar-elections">Bihar elections</keyword>. Award wapsi, a movement of sorts, was started a little while after murder of rationalist thinker and writer M M Kalburgi in Karnataka. Writers Nayantara Sehgal and Uday Prakash were among those who set the tone. This year, the biggest literary event was not a book release or something, but more like a writer standing up for his right to speak what he sees as truth. The writers were chided for siding with Congress party since most of them received awards during the tenure of Congress government. 
 
National Herald case 
Apart from Award Wapsi, this was another headline grabber which almost made demi gods out of Congress first line leaders. AICC Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi made an appearance in court over murky National Herald assets usurping case, which cost the country quite dearly since Congress stalled the discussions over some crucial issues such as GST in parliament, over ‘vendetta’ politics. 
 
Modi Pakistan-Afghan visit 
Towards the end of the year, the Prime Minister who has been jocularly targeted for his trips aboard sprang up a surprise and visited his counterpart in Pakistan absolutely out of turn, thus catching everyone by surprise. His move was both appreciated and criticized in equal measures by those who love him, and by those who simply didn’t like this approach. But, it looks like the White House seems to have welcomed this new found bonhomie between neighbours who have been sworn enemies over several issues. 
 
Shah Rukh, Aamir Khan’s (controversial) intolerance remarks 
This year when people spoke of social and cultural differences, they were targeted on social media and how! Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan who spoke against the rising incidents of ‘intolerance’ and the subsequent fear that has been the result of this, they were targeted badly for everything they said and did. Many from Bollywood including Raveena Tandon, Madhur Bhandarkar and Anupam Kher condemned these remarks made by the two Khans. The issue still simmers on. 
 
No women in temples, so what! 
It started with Ayyappan temple in Sabarimala, Kerala where a trustee said they would put scanners soon to keep menstruating women from visiting temples and angering the gods. Soon after, BJP leader Pankaja Munde in Mumbai seemed to have agreed with this line of thought. She asked, in all calm tone, yes women have not been allowed to visit temples in particular days. So what?! This irked feminists and people across the social media, who ensured their spoke their minds against this medieval stance against menstruating women. 
 
Meat ban during Paryushan Parva 
The BJP government in Maharashtra banned meat during the Jain fasting period called Paryushan Parva. This angered people from across social strata, who were sure that the BJP was driving a wedge between communities that ate meat and those that didn’t consume meat. This was called a social experiment of the worst kind, which would have repercussions on people’s food habits where forced opinions would mean democracy had ceased to exist even in people food habits. 
 
Sadhvi Prachi 
In keeping with the continued tradition of letting lose a volley of abuses and irrational statements, asking people to go to Pakistan if they were opposed to the ideologies of BJP government which predominantly upheld Hindu values and the way of life, that an alternate faith was next to impossible. Sadhvi Prachi being just a representative of all those medieval thoughts and barbaric mindset, kept the newspapers busy with her idiosyncrasies while BJP leadership failed to rein her in. 
 
Yakub Memon 
Hanging of 1997 Mumbai blast main accused Yakub Memon, who was held guilty by courts in 2007 the country witnessed some tense moments and swift working by the courts even on the previous night he was to be hanged on July 30. 
 
Though his death didn’t create a law and order situation, international media lost no opportunity to ensure this incident was bracketed under ‘intolerance’ towards Muslim brethren. 
 
Bihar elections 
This was the single most significant incident that probably indicated the image of BJP was on a journey downhill. Having doled out goodies in form of packages, and most engaging and intense campaigning by the who’s who of BJP including Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi, the MahagatBandhan with Nitish Kumar and Lalu at the helm held people’s hopes. That is where exactly their votes went too. But in the run up to event, there was a lot of bad blood that spilled forth. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

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Pankaja Munde trailing behind NCP's Dhananjay Munde by 30,701 votes from Parli constituency

Prerna Sindwani

Maharashtra Minister allegedly involved Rs. 206 crore scam

BI India Bureau

Pankaj Bhujbal is trailing by 13889 votes and 7% vote share from Nandgaon, Nashik

Prerna Sindwani

Political controversies that made headlines in 2015

Preetam Kaushik

Maharashtra State Elections winner and leading candidate list 2019

BI India Bureau