Clever or foul? Maharashtra CM declares Diwali bonus for govt employees before election date announcement
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde
Minutes before the Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the dates of Assembly elections in Maharashtra on Tuesday (Oct 15), Chief MinisterEknath Shinde announced a Diwali bonus for government employees, kindergarten teachers and ASHA workers.
Shinde said all employees of the civic body,Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), will receive a bonus of Rs 28,000 ($333). Meanwhile, the state kindergarten teachers and ASHA workers would receive Rs 3,000 more than what they received last year. Notably,on November 8 last year, Shinde had announced a Rs 26,000 bonus for the employees.
"After the discussion between the Chief Minister and Municipal Corporation Commissioner, for Diwali – 2024, it has been announced to give the following Gratuity Grants to Municipal Corporation Officers/Employees,” a press statement by BMC said.
The announcement was cleverly planned as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into force immediately once election dates are declared and remains in force till the results are announced.
Notably, MCCis a set of guidelines by the ECI that spells out how political parties and candidates must conduct themselves during the election campaign and polling.
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Maharashtra election dates
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar during a media briefing on Tuesday announced that the western Indian state would go to polls in a single phase on November 20, with the results set to be announced on November 23.
The last date for filing nominations is October 29 while the candidates can withdraw their namestill November 4.
The voters will be casting their ballot for candidates on 288 Assembly seats. The majority mark is 145 with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) currently having 103 MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha. The saffron party is in coalition with Shinde's Shiv Senawhich has 40 MLAss and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) which has 43 legislators.
The opposition alliance in the state is called the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) and comprises Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharad Pawar).
(With inputs from agencies)