Party leader says large number of people will use ‘NOTA’ option if elections are held
MNS leader Avinash Jadhav met State Election Commission officials and filed a high court petition on Monday. FILE PIC
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.
Jadhav argued that when the None of the Above (NOTA) option exists, elections cannot be unopposed. “If elections are held, I am sure people will come out in large numbers and press the NOTA button,” the MNS leader said, questioning how anyone can be deprived of exercising their right to vote.
Earlier on Saturday, the SEC sought a detailed report on all instances where candidates are unopposed in the upcoming polls across Maharashtra. While the MNS has moved against 66 candidates, the SEC said it does not yet have an exact count of unopposed candidates. However, reports from political parties and the media suggest that around 70 candidates are unopposed.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leads the tally with 44 unopposed candidates, followed by Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena with 22. The Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Paawar camp) has two such candidates, while two others belong to smaller parties or are independent. Reacting to the development earlier, Raj Thackeray said that he had never seen so many candidates unopposed in his political career.
Shiv Sena UBT, MNS release Thane civic election manifesto
On Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and MNS’s Avinash Jadhav, along with other leaders from both Thackeray camps, released the manifesto for the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) elections. Speaking to the media in Thane, Raut said, “After Mumbai, everyone is closely watching the battle for TMC elections.”
Thane held special significance for the Shiv Sena (undivided), as it was the first municipal corporation won by the undivided party and has since remained its traditional stronghold, underscoring the high stakes of the contest. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde continues to have a strong hold in Thane, which is said to be his primary political base even after the party split.
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