Maharashtra civic polls 2026: Uddhav Thackeray demands cancellation of 68 ‘unopposed’ wins

The former Maharashtra Chief Minister also launched a scathing attack on the Mahayuti Government, alleging that since his administration was dislodged and Eknath Shinde assumed office in June 2022, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC’s) funds have been splurged on contractors

Don’t rob Gen Z of votes: Uddhav demands cancellation of 68 ‘unopposed’ civic wins in Maharashtra

Uddhav and Raj Thackeray launch the joint manifesto for Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS on Sunday. PIC/ATUL KAMBLE

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday urged the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) to cancel results in 68 civic wards where ruling Mahayuti nominees were declared winners unopposed, warning that uncontested victories effectively deny first-time and Gen Z voters their right to vote, news agency PTI reported.

Speaking alongside Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief and his cousin Raj Thackeray at the launch of their joint manifesto for the upcoming Mumbai civic polls, Uddhav said democracy must not be overrun by “mobocracy.”

“After stealing votes, the ruling parties are now stealing candidates,” he said.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of double standards, Raj pointed out that the party had approached the Supreme Court in similar cases in West Bengal, where ruling party candidates were elected unopposed in local body polls, and demanded the party clarify its stance.

The controversy comes as 68 candidates from the Mahayuti alliance, including 44 from the BJP, were declared elected unopposed in Maharashtra, primarily due to withdrawals by opposition candidates or rebels.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, during a roadshow in Chandrapur, defended the unopposed wins, saying, “They can certainly go to court, but the people’s court has elected us. Even if they (opposition parties) move the court, people’s mandate will prevail in court.”

He added, “It is because they can see their defeat clearly and are now trying to find excuses.”

Uddhav urged SEC to cancel elections where candidates were elected unopposed and reinitiate the poll process, PTI reported.

“The unopposed election of candidates is akin to denying voters, especially the Gen Z electorate, the chance to exercise their franchise,” he said.

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief also alleged financial irregularities, claiming that if the BMC’s expenditure budget is Rs 15,000 crore, the advance mobilisation given to contractors for various works amounted to Rs 3 lakh crore, which he described as a “scam”. Uddhav further alleged that kickback money was being used for the civic polls.

The UBT chief also demanded the suspension of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, accusing him of interfering in the nomination process and tampering with closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage linked to it.

“He is a Speaker. He doesn’t belong to any party and has the responsibility to conduct work without any allegiance. He should be booked for violating the poll code,” Uddhav said.

Maharashtra civic polls: Thackeray cousins highlight ‘sons-of-the-soil’ issue

Narwekar, a BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Colaba, dismissed the charges as baseless and politically motivated.

Addressing local issues, the Thackeray cousins said the “sons-of-the-soil” issue would be a central theme in the elections, especially in Mumbai. Raj stressed that the mayor of Mumbai and other cities should be a Marathi individual and emphasised the importance of respecting the local language.

He also warned the ruling dispensation against setting a wrong precedent and added that power is not permanent.

A total of 15,931 candidates are in the fray for 2,869 seats across 893 wards in 29 municipal corporations. Mumbai has 227 seats, while the remaining corporations have multi-member wards. Votes will be counted on January 16.

(With PTI inputs)