The ruling Mahayuti alliance is set to secure a significant early advantage in the Maharashtra civic polls, with 68 candidates poised to be elected unopposed across several local bodies after opposition
parties withdrew their nominees ahead of the deadline.
Of the 68 candidates set to be elected unopposed, 44 are from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), underlining the Mahayuti’s strong grassroots organisation, while 22 belong to the Shiv Sena, two from NCP and one is an Independent.
Friday marked the final day for the withdrawal of nomination papers, with several candidates from other parties and alliances pulling out, clearing the way for the 68 Mahayuti candidates to be elected unopposed.
Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), recorded the highest number of winners where 21 Mahayuti candidates have been elected – 15 from the BJP and six from the Shiv Sena.
Jalgaon in north Maharashtra, long considered a stronghold for both the BJP and the Shiv Sena, also added a dozen corporators, with each party securing six unopposed wins. The trend was mirrored in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s Panvel, where seven BJP candidates were elected.
The party also recorded six uncontested victories in Bhiwandi, which has been an NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction stronghold for a while.
Despite a visible rift with the BJP in Eknath Shinde’s home turf of Thane, the deputy chief minister’s Shiv Sena managed to secure six wins. Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray-led MNS staged a protest in the district, raising questions over the process and the approach of the ruling dispensation.
In Dhule, three BJP candidates won uncontested, while the NCP won two seats and the BJP one in Ahilya Nagar.
According to the political experts, the uncontested wins will come as a fresh boost for the ruling alliance in the state following its near clean sweep in the recently concluded municipal council elections. They will also free up the parties and allow them to focus on campaigning in other areas.
SEC Seeks Inquiry Reports
The Maharashtra State Election Commission has ordered an inquiry into reports of candidates being elected unopposed in the run-up to the municipal corporation elections scheduled for January 15.
“We have asked all the local authorities to submit a report to us. This is a part of routine process whenever other candidates withdraw nominations and only one candidate remains in the fray,” an official of the State Election Commission told The Hindu.
According to the official, the SEC will check if the nominations were withdrawn under duress, due to any pressure or due to any allurement.
Indicating that results in such wards could be delayed, the official said no time frame has been set for submitting the inquiry reports. The civic polls are scheduled for January 15, with counting and results slated for January 16.
“There is no deadline. The report can be submitted after January 16 too. We will not declare the official results till these reports are submitted to us,” he said.
