BJP Minister Ganesh Naik Denied Vote in Navi Mumbai Polls, Blames Election Commission
High drama unfolded in Navi Mumbai on Thursday when Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik was turned away from a polling booth. The senior BJP leader could not cast his vote in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections because his name was missing from the voters' list.
Minister's Voting Ordeal
Ganesh Naik arrived at St Mary's High School expecting to vote. He had received information that voting would take place there instead of his usual polling station at Navi Mumbai School No. 94. However, officials informed him that his name did not appear on their electoral roll.
"I have been voting for many years at Navi Mumbai School No. 94 along with my family members," Naik told reporters early in the morning. "This time I was told voting would happen at St Mary's High School. When I went there, there was no room number 9 as informed, and my name was not on the voters' list."
The minister expressed his frustration at the situation. He said he would return to St Mary's High School later to try again.
Allegations of Systematic Irregularities
Naik made serious allegations about the voting process. He claimed that his family members and relatives, who all live in the same building in Navi Mumbai, found their names divided among three different polling centers.
"If a minister like me can face a situation where his name is missing from the voters' list, then one can imagine what might be happening to common voters," Naik stated emphatically.
The BJP leader directly blamed the State Election Commission for the problems. He alleged irregularities in both the ward-formation process and the polling procedures.
"We all know the discrepancies in the ward formation process," Naik said. "But people have rejected money and such tactics."
Political Context of the Incident
This incident occurred during a bitter electoral fight between the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The two parties are contesting the polls independently after their alliance talks collapsed.
The BJP is contesting all 111 seats in the NMMC, while the Shiv Sena has fielded candidates in 105 seats.
Wider Maharashtra Municipal Elections
Voting began on Thursday morning across multiple municipal corporations in Maharashtra:
- Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation
- Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)
- Thane Municipal Corporation
- Nagpur Municipal Corporation
- Pune Municipal Corporation
- Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation
- 23 other municipal corporations
Approximately 15,931 candidates are competing for around 2,869 seats across these municipal bodies. The state government declared a holiday in municipal corporation areas to encourage voter participation.
Counting of votes will take place on Friday, determining the political control of these important urban local bodies.
