Man denied ZP poll ticket, son micturates outside MLA office

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A 20-year-old man allegedly urinated in public outside the office of Udgir MLA Sanjay Bansode on Thursday, reportedly in protest after the former's father was denied a party ticket to contest the upcoming zilla parishad elections. The incident caused political embarrassment after a video of the act went viral on social media. According to sources, the youth — identified as Nitin Ekurre — is the son of Madhukar Ekurre who had sought a ticket from the NCP. Upset over the decision, the youth allegedly carried out the act outside the MLA's office in Udgir. The incident was recorded on a mobile phone, reportedly by the youth himself, and later circulated on social media platforms. Although the video was deleted within a few hours, it had already been widely shared across messaging apps.The incident sparked sharp reactions in the political circles across Latur district, with leaders terming the act indecent and damaging to public discourse during the election season. Several party workers privately admitted that the episode caused embarrassment at a time when parties are trying to project discipline and organisational strength ahead of the local body polls.Despite repeated attempts, Bansode could not be reached for comment on the issue.Party's senior office-bearer from Latur said, "Demand for tickets from both the BJP and NCP was far higher than the number of available seats. It is not possible to accommodate everyone. While disappointment over denial of a ticket can be understood, resorting to such acts is completely wrong and unacceptable." He added that political disagreements should be expressed through democratic and lawful means.Police sources said they were aware of the viral video and were verifying the facts. "Further action would depend on whether a cognisable offence was made out under public nuisance provisions," a police officer said.