CM Fadnavis mocks Aaditya Thackeray, says he should not become 'Maharashtra’s Pappu'

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday (October 28) mocked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray for his presentation highlighting alleged discrepancies in the voter rolls of his assembly constituency, remarking that he should not try to become “Maharashtra’s Pappu".

Fadnavis mocks Aaditya with 'pappu' jibe

“I know Aaditya and didn’t expect him to do ‘pappugiri’. His presentation yesterday was a replica of what Rahul Gandhi has done earlier. He (Aaditya) shouldn’t try to become Maharashtra’s Pappu. All that the Opposition is doing is cover firing,” Fadnavis said.

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“They know defeat is imminent and that people are not with them. Their conduct is a mockery of democracy,” the Chief Minister told reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Ahead of the local body elections in the state, Aaditya Thackeray on Monday (October 27) alleged discrepancies in the voter list for his Worli Assembly constituency in Mumbai, including mismatched names, photographs, addresses, and even gender details.

“This is not an error but fraud,” the Sena (UBT) MLA alleged while addressing party workers in Mumbai.

Aaditya vows to fight voter discrepancies

Aaditya added that “the battle will begin” once political parties receive the draft electoral rolls, urging party cadres to thoroughly scrutinise voter lists in each ward ahead of the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.

The local body elections in Maharashtra are scheduled to be completed by January 2026.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has accused the BJP and the Election Commission of “vote chori” (vote theft), a charge denied by both the ruling party and the poll body.

Cabinet reviews flood relief for farmers

Meanwhile, Fadnavis said the Cabinet reviewed the Rs 31,628 crore relief package for farmers affected by floods, which had been announced before Diwali.

He stated that, so far, Rs 8,000 crore had already been credited to the bank accounts of 40 lakh farmers, and the Cabinet on Tuesday approved the release of an additional Rs 11,000 crore to be disbursed to farmers within a fortnight.

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Responding to questions on the relief package, Fadnavis clarified that Rs 21,000 crore will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of the farmers, of which Rs 8,000 crore has been disbursed and Rs 11,000 crore was sanctioned on Tuesday. An additional Rs 1,500 crore will be released separately, he added.

'Viksit Maharashtra 2047' plan approved

The Chief Minister advised farmers to register with the relevant authorities before the procurement of their produce.

“If traders offer the Minimum Support Price (MSP), they may sell to private traders. If farmers register with government procurement centres and supply their produce there, the MSP amount will be credited directly to their bank accounts,” he said.

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Fadnavis also announced that the Cabinet has approved the revised cost of the Solapur-Tuljapur-Dharashiv railway line, now pegged at Rs 3,295 crore, to be jointly funded by the state and central governments. The project, he said, will boost religious tourism as the Tuljapur and Pandharpur temples fall along the route.

In addition, the Cabinet has approved the 'Viksit Maharashtra 2047' document, prepared by all departments after consultations with seven lakh stakeholders. The draft outlines developmental goals to be achieved by 2030, 2035, and 2047, and will be published soon, Fadnavis said.

(With agency inputs)