Ask parents to vote for me, or skip food: MLA tells students in Hingoli

Santosh Bangar

In the latest political controversy, Santosh Bangar, MLA from the Kalamnuri Vidhan Sabha constituency in Hingoli district (aligned with the Eknath Shinde faction), has stirred up a storm by advising school students to skip food for two days. In a video that has gone viral, Bangar is seen telling puzzled students that if their parents question their refusal to eat, they should reply, "Vote for Santosh Bangar, only then will we eat."

This has sparked outrage across party lines in the state, with leaders from the Congress and NCP demanding action against him. Bangar visited the Lakh village in Aundha Naganath taluka of Hingoli district on Saturday for the bhoomi poojan ceremony of various development projects in the village and the local zilla parishad school. In a video, he can be seen happily interacting with students, who applaud him.

After telling them not to eat, he is seen asking them to repeat whom to vote for, and they shout, "Vote for Santosh Bangar." Political leaders took to X to criticise Bangar for this. Rohit Pawar tweeted (in Marathi): "To get parents to vote for him, he is coercing little kids to skip food for two days, is he some Mahatma for whom kids will skip meals? What has he done for the education of these little kids? What right does this MLA have to involve young children in politics? Using children for political gains is a crime, and action must be taken against him."

Speaking to mid-day, Pawar said, "This demonstrates a significant level of arrogance. When visiting a school and engaging with students, the focus should be on motivating and encouraging them to excel, rather than making political statements. Considering it was a primary school with students mostly below Class IV, the statement made was highly inappropriate. It reflects a lack of understanding of the situation. Furthermore, it indicates a lack of discretion regarding what to say and where to say it. His remarks have made him appear impractical. Ultimately, it is up to the voters to assess and determine the type of leader or representative they wish to vote for." Former cabinet minister, leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly, and MLA of Brahmapuri from the Congress, Vijay Wadettiwar, tweeted:

"Will the Election Commission take action against Santosh Bangar for violating the Commission's regulations?" In 2017, Santosh Bangar was appointed Shiv Sena Hingoli district president, and in 2019, he was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. After the Uddhav Thackeray government collapsed, he defected to the Eknath Shinde faction.