Elect One, Get One Free: Shiv Sena MLA Sends 'Proxy' To Drought-Hit Village

Mumbai: A Shiv Sena legislator representing Maharashtra’s drought-hit district of Osmanabad allegedly sent a proxy to his constituency to talk to affected villagers.

Gautam Chabukswar, the Shiv Sena MLA from Osmanabad, sent a former corporator in his place after being directed by party chief Uddhav Thackeray to visit a village in the drought-hit district.

Former corporator Yashodhar Fanse was introduced to unsuspecting villagers as MLA Chabukswar.

CNN-News18 has access to video footage where Fanse is seen being greeted by villagers and even chairing a meeting, while pretending to be their elected representative.​

This happened after the Shiv Sena launched the ‘Shiv Sampark Abhiyan’ in which all party MLAs visited the drought-hit areas of Marathwada and Vidarbha.

According to sources, Thackeray met the MLAs on Thursday and pulled them up for not doing their duty properly.

BJP, which formed the government in the state in alliance with Sena, slammed its ally over the incident. “This is shocking. Elected representatives should reach out to the public,” BJP leader Shaina NC said.

Former chief Minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said, “I am shocked. The BJP-Shiv Sena government has taken the whole farmer issue very lightly. The Shiv Sena MLa has outsourced his work. This is a farce.”

“I don’t think the Speaker or the CM will take any action. We have become very lenient. Big wigs and VIPs are never punished,” he added.

Congress and its MLAs will meet and discuss this issue. There should be an inquiry into the matter,” Chavan said.

The NCP said, “Shiv Sena has taken the people of the state for a ride...they are rubbing salt to the wounds of the farmers.”



Out of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs directed by Thackeray to visit the drought-hit district as many as 27 did not bother to go on tour.

Reacting to the incident, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant said, “How can you say our MLA is ‘nakli’. If anyone one has done this, it is wrong. If one person has committed the mistake, how can you blame the party? The leadership will take such a person to task.”