THANE: The Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS have alleged foul play in the civic elections after 32 candidates from the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena were declared elected unopposed in Maharashtra's Thane district, blaming the state machinery and police.
The Opposition has also called for the NOTA option and demanded legal action.
Of the 68 candidates declared elected unopposed in the January 15 municipal corporation polls across the state, a staggering 47 per cent (32 candidates) hail from Thane district alone.
The BJP leads the tally with 20 candidates, followed by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 12.
In Kalyan, 14 BJP and six Shiv Sena candidates have emerged unopposed, while six candidates each from both ruling parties have secured the tag in Thane and Bhiwandi.
In a joint press conference on Sunday, Sena (UBT) leader Rajan Vichare and MNS' Thane-Palghar chief Avinash Jadhav accused the state government machinery and police of orchestrating 'unopposed' electoral wins for associates of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Jadhav shared a video clip claiming that it shows a police officer escorting Sena (UBT) candidate Vikrant Ghag to Shinde's 'Shubhdeep' bungalow in Thane city's Nitin Company area on the day of nomination withdrawals.
"This candidate had received the nomination from the Thackeray group. Why was he being taken there? This election is being held with money and under police pressure," he claimed and added that the candidate has been missing since then.
Vichare, a former MP, alleged that a significant portion of the 68 unopposed candidates across the state was secured through fraudulent rejections and intimidation.
Nearly half the work of electing Shinde's associates was done by election officials who rejected 336 applications across Maharashtra, he claimed.
He specifically demanded action against two election officials.
Jadhav said if these officials are not replaced within 48 hours, MNS would target the election office in "MNS style."
Both leaders warned those candidates who accepted party tickets but withdrew without notice.
"There is no forgiveness for traitors... as soon as the elections are over, we will 'welcome' those who committed betrayal," they said.
Earlier, Sena (UBT) Thane unit chief Kedar Dighe had questioned the legitimacy of the results, terming the phenomenon unprecedented in the state's civic election history.
"How can only ruling party candidates emerge unopposed? If this concept is valid, opposition candidates should have also been on the list," Dighe had said.
He further argued that even with a single candidate, the 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option must be provided to voters.
"Citizens should not be deprived of their right to vote," he added.
The MNS on Saturday had indicated it may challenge the unopposed declarations in court.
Meanwhile, the Thane Municipal Corporation, in a release on Saturday, clarified that while six candidates were lone contenders in their respective wards, their names have been forwarded to the State Election Commission for a final decision.
In the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation polls, where the BJP and Shiv Sena are contesting against each other, no candidate has been declared elected unopposed.
