06 January,2026 07:43 PM IST | Dhule | mid-day online correspondent
CM Fadnavis thanked voters in Dhule for electing four BJP corporators unopposed. File pic
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday dismissed criticism by Opposition parties over the ruling Mahayuti's candidates being elected unopposed in 68 civic wards across the state in Maharashtra local body election, reported the PTI.
Addressing a rally in Dhule district of Maharashtra ahead of the January 15 municipal corporation elections, CM Fadnavis said the Opposition was overreacting to the issue.
"If you feel offended, what can I do about it?" he remarked, using a popular Hindi phrase to underline his point.
The Chief Minister thanked voters in Dhule for electing four BJP corporators unopposed.
"We accept this support wholeheartedly," he said while addressing party workers and supporters.
Countering allegations that unopposed victories threaten democracy, CM Fadnavis pointed out that 35 Members of Parliament (MPs) have been elected unopposed in the past, 33 of them during Congress-led governments, according to the PTI.
He questioned the Opposition's stand, saying, "When unopposed elections happened during your rule, democracy was not in danger. When it happens now, you claim democracy is under threat."
Describing Dhule as the gateway to Maharashtra, with Gujarat on one side and Madhya Pradesh on the other, Fadnavis said the city had seen little development before the BJP came to power after the civic body was formed in 2003, as per the PTI.
He claimed that major development work began only after the BJP took charge.
The controversy over unopposed victories reached the Bombay High Court on Monday, where an MNS leader sought a stay on the declaration of results in 68 wards and demanded a court-monitored inquiry into alleged forced withdrawals.
Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray urged the State Election Commission to cancel the results in these wards, claiming that uncontested wins deny Gen Z and first-time voters their right to vote.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also criticised the ruling alliance, accusing the BJP-led Mahayuti of undermining democracy due to its "greed for power".
Months after alleged anomalies in electoral rolls were challenged in court by the Opposition, now unopposed wins in municipal elections have reached the judiciary. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has moved the court challenging the unopposed election of 66 candidates in the upcoming municipal corporation polls.
On Monday, MNS leader Avinash Jadhav met State Election Commission (SEC) officials and also filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, questioning and challenging the unopposed future victory.
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(with PTI inputs)
