A day after reports of 68 unopposed wins for the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra's municipal polls, the State Election Commission has sought reports from officials to rule out coercion or intimidation behind nomination withdrawals. Opposition leaders allege misuse of money and threats.
The withdrawal deadline for nominations in the January 15 Maharashtra municipal corporation elections ended on January 3, leaving 69 seats uncontested—68 for Mahayuti (BJP, Shinde Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar NCP) and one for the Islamic Party. The SEC has withheld result declarations pending reports from returning officers and district collectors to verify no foul play, as per protocol.
A senior SEC official explained, 'As per rules, in cases of unopposed victories, we seek a report to confirm no force or other means were used to deter contestants.' Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh and Pune Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale confirmed investigations into potential pressure, following 2004 SEC guidelines, though no complaints have surfaced yet.
BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule hailed the wins as public endorsement of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's development agenda, claiming opposition withdrawals reflected voter preference.
Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) demanded probes, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut calling it unprecedented and urging checks for money or threats to ensure free polls. These tensions heighten stakes ahead of January 16 results for 2,869 corporator seats, amid alliances like Uddhav Thackeray-Raj Thackeray and BJP-NCP frictions.
