Throughout the state, the Mahayuti alliance secured 64 seats unopposed in 29 municipal firms because the withdrawal deadline closed. The early positive factors, attributed to efficient administration of rebels and last-minute withdrawals by opposition candidates, put the ruling mix in a celebratory temper nicely forward of polling.
The Bharatiya Janata Social gathering emerged as the most important beneficiary of the pre-poll developments, claiming 44 unopposed seats. Its most vital breakthrough got here in KDMC, the place candidates from the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) withdrew their nominations on the eleventh hour, permitting 15 BJP candidates to be elected uncontested.
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 18 unopposed corporator posts, together with six in KDMC. The occasion’s dominance was most evident in Thane, its political stronghold. Whereas the election initially drew 1,107 nominations, the ultimate day of withdrawals on January 2 noticed a lot of candidates pull out, paving the best way for seven Shiv Sena candidates to be elected unopposed from areas reminiscent of Wagle Property and Vartak Nagar.
The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Social gathering accounted for 2 unopposed seats. With 64 seats already secured, the Mahayuti alliance enters the primary section of the municipal polls with a considerable numerical edge over the opposition.
Opposition events have raised considerations over the equity of the unopposed victories, alleging coercion and undue affect. In response, the State Election Fee (SEC) has sought detailed studies from municipal firms and initiated an inquiry into the circumstances beneath which candidates withdrew their nominations.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Sanjay Raut alleged that intimidation and blackmail had been getting used to engineer unopposed wins. “The Election Fee has ordered an inquiry. However as soon as the probe started, CCTV footage from involved areas began disappearing. Maharashtra has by no means witnessed municipal elections being received unopposed on such a big scale,” Raut mentioned.
The SEC has additionally sought a report from Brihanmumbai Municipal Company Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani over allegations that Meeting Speaker Rahul Narwekar pressured a Returning Officer from Ward A. The Fee has requested for a evaluate of CCTV footage from the RO’s workplace.
Raut additional alleged that Mr. Narwekar compromised his neutrality by visiting a nomination centre for kin. The Meeting Speaker dismissed the allegations as “baseless”, saying they stemmed from the Opposition’s concern of defeat. “All candidates who arrived earlier than the 5 p.m. deadline on December 30 had been processed. These elevating objections — together with a BJP candidate — arrived late,” Mr. Narwekar mentioned.
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