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Chavan also said that the election for this premier civic body next month was going to be "UPA versus NDA contest". He said the ticket distribution was done in a transparent manner.
State Congress chief Manikrao Thakre said the allegations regarding ticket distribution were baseless and those levelling them would be served with show-cause notices. Chavan and Thakre released the party`s manifesto for the 27 zilla parishad and 309 panchyat samiti polls, to be held on February 6.
Congress is contesting these elections in alliance with the RPI factions led by Prakash Ambedkar and Jogendra Kavade. Chavan said the alliance promises to change the face of rural Maharashtra and boost the rural development. Farmers will be given interest-free crop loans upto Rs one lakh and upto Rs 3 lakh at two per cent interest rate. The affordable housing initiative would be extended to rural areas, he said.
When asked how the Congress will benefit from these promises as all departments related to rural development were with NCP, Chavan said the state was being run by the Congress- led government, and he, as Chief Minister, was responsible for everything.
When asked about Industries Minister Narayan Rane`s allegations against ministries held by NCP, especially the home department, at a rally in Kudal, Chavan said law and order situation concerned everybody. However, he denied that Congress and NCP were involved in mud-slinging ahead of ZP polls. It was, he said, "competitive politics".
Among other things, the Congress manifesto says that state would allocate money in the budget for providing training to the Maharashtrian youth, to enable them get jobs with the central government.
