Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshvardhan Sapkal said public confidence in the country’s institutions had eroded. (Photo: Facebook)“The BJP is spending money recklessly in elections and playing a game of ‘paisa fek tamasha dekh’. Its arrogance that elections can be won through money power has been growing. Bring down this arrogance in the Legislative Council elections and show that votes cannot be bought in a democracy,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshvardhan Sapkal said on Saturday.He appealed to voters to ensure the victory of all Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates in Legislative Council elections.A campaign meeting was held at Bal Gandharva Rangmandir in Pune in support of MVA candidates Prof Jayant Asgaonkar and Harshada Deshmukh Jadhav, contesting from the Pune teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies, respectively.Those present included Sapkal, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, senior NCP leader Sharad Pawar, who joined online, former minister Vishwajeet Kadam, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) state president Shashikant Shinde, former minister Jayant Patil, MP Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, former minister Harshvardhan Patil, senior Congress vice-president Mohan Joshi, MLA Bapusaheb Pathare, senior leader Ulhas Pawar, Prabhakar Deshmukh, Ankush Kakade, Pune city Congress (East) president Prashant Jagtap and Pune city Congress (West) president Deepti Chaudhary, among others.Addressing the gathering, Sapkal said public confidence in the country’s institutions had eroded. “People have lost faith in the Election Commission, while young people no longer trust the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). These institutions have failed, raising the question of how the country could move forward when it was heading towards dictatorship,” he said.“Democracy and constitutional values are being trampled upon. In these difficult circumstances, capable and intelligent representatives must enter the legislature. Graduates and teachers have several concerns, and their representatives must be sent to the legislature to raise these issues,” Sapkal said.Chavan said the political climate in the country had changed, with corruption having spread extensively under the BJP governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra. He said the state was facing a severe drought, but the BJP government did not appear to be handling the situation effectively. In contrast, the Congress-led government had managed the drought in 2012-13 and provided appropriate assistance to farmers, he said.Story continues below this ad“The education sector is in disarray today. The BJP government talks about its vision of a developed India, but in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), its claims remain a pipe dream, no matter how much it publicises them,” Chavan said.Chavan also said young people and citizens across the country were taking to the streets against the BJP government, whose true character had been exposed. However, he cautioned party workers against becoming complacent and urged them to continue working until the end and ensure voters turned out to cast their ballots. “If we work with determination, both MVA candidates will win,” Chavan said, expressing confidence in their victory.