Ganesh Festival Donations Surge with Maharashtra Civic Polls

Ganesh Chaturthi is a big festival in Maharashtra, and this year, it's also become a chance for politicians to try and get votes.

With local elections coming up, people hoping to be elected are giving money to the groups that organize the festival celebrations (mandals).

They're hoping this will help them win the election.

These donations are often quite large, helping the mandals pay for their events.

It's a cycle that happens before elections, but some people are critical of how the system works.