India’s Maharashtra will hold no local elections till 70 percent of its people get vaccinated, says state minister

• Shubham
• 21 June, 2021

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By: Shubham Ghosh

Shubham Ghosh

HASAN Mushrif, the rural development minister of the western Indian state of Maharashtra on Monday (21) said no elections will be held to the state’s local bodies till 70 percent of its population is administered the Covid-19 vaccine.

Maharashtra, which is India’s second most populous state with around 125 million people, has vaccinated around 27 million people so far, according to its health department. The state has been the epicentre of India’s devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic with nearly six million people getting affected (about a fifth of India’s total affected population). The state has seen 1.18 lakh deaths (0.11 million). India overall has seen 282.5 million people getting vaccinated.

Mushrif, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, was talking to reporters in Kolhapur in the state when he was asked about another state minister Vijay Wadettiwar’s remark that he would not allow local body elections in the state till its OBC quota controversy is resolved.

“Due to corona, there will be no elections till 70 per cent vaccination is done. So, till then, the quota issue will also be resolved,” Mushrif said.

Mushrif was also asked about Sena legislator Pratap Sarnaik’s letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in which he alleged that alliance partners Congress and NCP were working to weaken the Shiv Sena-led government by creating divisions in its ranks. In response, he said it was an attempt by the BJP to destabilise the state’s Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

He said: “Sarnaik has been on the BJP’s radar ever since he moved a breach of privilege notice against (actor) Kangana Ranaut and (journalist) Arnab Goswami.” He also added that Sarnaik’s claim in the latter of he and his family members being harassed by central investigating agencies was a cause of concern.