In a significant pre-poll development, the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra has secured a substantial number of unopposed victories in the ongoing civic body elections. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Keshav Upadhye announced on Friday that a total of 68 candidates from the Mahayuti coalition have been elected without contest across various municipal corporations in the state.
Breakdown of Unopposed Victories
The lion's share of these uncontested wins belongs to the BJP, with 44 of its candidates declared elected. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction saw 22 candidates win unopposed, while the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured two such victories. The highest number of these unopposed successes came from the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation in Thane district, followed by other major civic bodies including Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Panvel, Bhiwandi, Dhule, Jalgaon, and Ahmednagar (Ahilyanagar).
Specific instances highlighted by reports include five Shiv Sena candidates winning unopposed for the 131-member Thane Municipal Corporation. In the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) polls, six BJP candidates were elected without contest after the scrutiny of nomination papers. Furthermore, in the Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation polls, three Shiv Sena and one BJP candidate were declared unopposed. In a notable case from Pune's ward number 35, BJP candidates Manjusha Nagpure and Shrikant Jagtap were elected unopposed after their opponents withdrew nomination forms; both had previously represented the ward from 2017 to 2022.
Political Reactions and Allegations
BJP leaders have attributed this trend to the popularity of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the effective electoral strategy orchestrated by state unit president Ravindra Chavan. They claim this combination has solidified the BJP's position as a dominant force in both municipal councils and major corporations.
However, the development has sparked fierce criticism from opposition parties, who have accused the ruling alliance of undermining democratic processes. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have alleged that the Mahayuti used financial inducements and threats to force opposition candidates to withdraw from the electoral fray.
Opposition Leaders Voice Outrage
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut made serious allegations in a post on social media platform X. He claimed that returning officers were instructed to accept withdrawal of nomination forms well past the official 3 pm deadline on Friday, treating them as if submitted on time. Raut recounted an anecdote where a person involved in the process was allegedly told by a guardian minister, in a tone mixing request and threat, to comply with the local MLA's wishes. He condemned the situation as "mobocracy in the name of democracy" and warned of a potential public uprising.
Echoing these sentiments, MNS leader Avinash Jadhav questioned the purpose of holding elections if victories are secured beforehand. "Why do you hold polls if you want to win them before voting. Both the ruling parties should distribute it amongst themselves. Democracy has ended in India and the state," he stated, accusing the alliance of targeting weak opposition candidates. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant also accused the ruling parties of exerting pressure on opposition candidates to engineer these unopposed wins.
The controversy casts a shadow over the civic polls, highlighting the intense political rivalry in Maharashtra and raising questions about the conduct of elections at the local level. The allegations of coercion, if proven, could have significant political ramifications for the ruling alliance.
