Min accused of coercing candidates opp actor wife to withdraw in Marathi film body pollMin accused of coercing candidates opp actor wife to withdraw in Marathi film body pollHT CorrespondentMUMBAI: A controversy has enveloped the election to the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal, the apex body of the Marathi film industry, after allegations that a Mahayuti minister had pressurised candidates to withdraw their nominations so that the minister’s wife could be elected unopposed.The initial claim was made by actor and former president of the Mahamandal Vijay Patkar on Sunday, who said he was not allowed to file his nomination, albeit without naming anyone. However, it was backed up that very evening by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare, who openly named BJP industries minister Uday Samant. Amid the brouhaha, Samant’s wife Neelam Shirke on Monday evening withdrew her nomination to support actor Varsha Usgaonkar, the only other candidate in the female actor fray.Sushma Andhare said that “the entire government machinery” was working for the election of Samant’s wife. “It is a very serious matter that a senior actor like Vijay Patkar was stopped from filing his nomination,” she said. “Nowadays, leaders behave like actors, but they are now also trying to occupy the entertainment and art sector.”Congress and NCP (SP) leaders joined forces with Andhare to criticise the Mahayuti government for political interference in the arts and culture sector. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar demanded that CM Devendra Fadnavis take the matter seriously and intervene to stop such practices. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said he would come on the streets to protest if the government suppressed actors’ voices.In a quick counter-attack on Monday, former vice-president of the Mahamandal Sushant Shelar and former office-bearer Dhanaji Yamkar held a press conference at Kolhapur to lambast Vijay Patkar. The duo dared Patkar to present proof of threat calls by anyone. They also claimed that he had fled from a meeting during his tenure when people questioned him on an expenditure of ₹57 lakh on a show that cost ₹14 lakh. “Following the financial fraud, Patkar’s membership was cancelled so now he has no authority to contest the election,” said Shelar.After the clash, Andhare put out a conciliatory message on social media following Shirke’s withdrawal of her candidature on Monday evening. “We firmly believe that sectors like sports or art and culture should be run only by experts,” she said. “We acknowledge the contribution of Neelam Shirke-Samant as an actor. But no one should be deprived of his or her right to contest the election. We welcome Neelam Shirke-Samant’s decision to withdraw her candidature and the maturity she has shown.”Around 60 candidates have filed nominations for the Mahamandal’s 17 posts. Voting will take place on June 7 in Kolhapur, Mumbai, and Pune, while the counting of votes and declaration of results will be on June 8.