Cong candidates afraid to contest Virar council polls: Vernekar

Thane, Nov 18 (UNI) Virar Block Congress presdent Geeta Vernekar today alleged that local MLA Hitendra Thakur has unleashed a reign of terror in the region following which Congress candidates are afraid to contest the Virar municipal council elections scheduled for tomorrow.

Ms Vernekar told a press conference here today that complaints in this regard to the concerned authorities had not evoked any response.

The Congress candidates have, therefore, decided to boycott the polls, she said. A total of 22 candidates had filed their nominations as official Congress candidates but 17 of them had already withdrawn from the fray due to harassment from the MLA and his men, she alleged.

In the latest incident, Mrs Vernekar alleged that Thakur and his men had assaulted a few candidates on November 15, and when they went to lodge a complaint they were beaten up in the presence of the police, she alleged.

Mrs Vernekar said that a memorandum had been submitted in this connection to the District Collector, Mr Nandakumar Jantre.

There are a total of 40 wards in the Virar municipal council which will go to the polls tomorrow.

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