Parked Cars Cause Chaos on Sankasthi Chaturthi, Drawing Criticism Towards MP Barne
The atmosphere around the Morya Gosavi temple in Chinchwad became tumultuous when four to five cars of a Maha Yuti candidate’s convoy parked near the temple entrance, sparking frustration among devotees. The temple, already bustling with visitors on the auspicious occasion of Sankasthi Chaturthi, faced significant traffic congestion due to this parking obstruction. The unauthorised parking of the candidate’s convoy exacerbated the situation, causing inconvenience to devotees and creating a bottleneck in the vicinity of the temple.
For the Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena (Shinde group) announced the names of eight candidates. Shrirang alias Appa Barne, who served as MP for two consecutive terms, was nominated again. Despite murmurs within the Grand Alliance and opposition, there’s discontent over the renomination of the same candidate. Delighted to receive the ticket for the third time, the MP promptly headed to the Morya Gosavi temple in Chinchwad. Four to five cars, which were part of the MP’s convoy, were driven through the dense crowd. People scrambled to make way as the vehicles passed through.
This direct entry of vehicles in front of the temple received criticism from onlookers, including citizens and small shop owners present at the scene. After briefly interacting with citizens and devotees, MP Barne swiftly made his way to the temple. The prolonged parking of their vehicles on the road in front of the temple inconvenienced pedestrians and small businessmen, eliciting frustration among citizens. Such actions by a candidate raised questions about their commitment to addressing the concerns of the common voter, who expects candidates to integrate with the community and resolve issues. The situation sparked discussions in the area, with many questioning the efficacy of a candidate who inconveniences citizens by obstructing the road with parked vehicles.
There was widespread scepticism regarding the intentions of a candidate who appeared selectively during festivals and yatras, and now chose to make an appearance during Sankashti Chaturthi amidst the election period. “On occasions like Yatra and Chaturthi, small shop-owners rely on this area for business. If we unknowingly obstruct traffic, the police or municipal staff swiftly remove us. However, it was disheartening to witness four vehicles parked on the road for an extended period without consequence. As a result, small traders like us were forced to move aside,” rued Vinod Chaudhary, a shop-owner.
