Uddhav Demands Cancellation Of Unopposed Elections
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday raised questions about candidates who won the local body elections unopposed and urged the State Election Commission to cancel the polls in their districts and restart the process.
“If the Maharashtra State Election Commission has the guts, it should cancel the elections in which candidates were elected unopposed and restart the poll process in these wards.”
The former Maharashtra CM said electing candidates unopposed is like denying voters, especially ‘GenZ’, a chance to exercise their rights. He said uncontested victories deny young and first-time voters the right to vote.
The BJP and its Mahayuti allies won 68 seats unopposed in the Maharashtra local body elections scheduled for January 15. Of these, 47 per cent (32 candidates) are from Thane district alone. The BJP tops the list with 20 unopposed candidates, followed by Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 12 candidates. While 14 BJP and six Shiv Sena candidates emerged unopposed in Kalyan, six candidates from both the ruling parties secured the title in Thane and Bhiwandi.
“The atmosphere in the country looks like democracy has been taken over by mobocracy,” Uddhav said.
Alliance partner MNS chief Raj Thackeray accused the BJP of turning Maharashtra into Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and warned that “no one can stay in power forever”.
Claiming that the BJP has set a wrong precedent, Raj said, “The ruling party should not complain when its successors resort to such tactics in a more subtle way.”
Uddhav and Raj Thackeray announced their alliance manifesto for Mumbai civic elections; They promised a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to domestic servants under the Swabhiman Nidhi scheme, Rs 5 reduction in minimum BEST bus fare, more buses and routes, removal of property tax on houses up to 700 square meters and one parking space per flat in redeveloped buildings.
Mumbai’s land will be used solely to accommodate Mumbaikars, the manifesto promises affordable housing for BMC employees, government, BEST and factory workers.
It was stated that BMC will have its own housing authority and one lakh affordable houses will be built in the next five years.
The parties also promised 100 units of free energy for residential use through the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking and efforts will be made to expand this to the eastern and western suburbs.
