Civic polls: Uddhav urges voters to dislodge BJP regime; Raj Thackeray accuses SEC of bias

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday urged voters to come out in large numbers for the Mumbai civic polls to dislodge the “brutal, fraud, corrupt and dictatorial regime of the BJP”.

Uddhav cast his vote along with his wife Rashmi and son Aaditya in the city’s Bandra East area.

“I urge voters to exercise their right and dislodge the brutal, fraud, corrupt and dictatorial BJP,” Uddhav said.

His cousin and MNS president Raj Thackeray, who also cast his vote, accused the State Election Commission (SEC) of bias, claiming the entire administration was being misused by the ruling parties to secure victory in the polls.

Raj Thackeray cast his vote in the Dadar area, accompanied by his family members, including his mother Kunda.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, his wife Anjali, daughter Sara and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar voted in their respective wards.

Later, speaking to reporters, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief he targeted the SEC over the use of the Printing Auxiliary Display Unit (PADU) in the civic polls.

The SEC did not even bother to give any clarification on the use of PADU and extended the canvassing time to allow “distribution of money (by ruling parties)”, he alleged.

He further claimed that the indelible ink mark on the finger after casting vote can be easily wiped off.

“They (the government) don’t want the Opposition parties. The entire administration is being run by the government (to win the polls). This is not the sign of a healthy democracy. There is a limit to misuse of power,” Thackeray said.

He asked his party workers to stay alert against any malpractices by rival parties in the polls.

Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also urged those who love Mumbai and Maharashtra to cast their vote.

Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are fighting their toughest battle yet as they join forces in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, aiming to control the country’s richest civic body with a budget of over Rs 74,000 crore.

The cousins have placed the cause of the “Marathi manoos” and Marathi pride at the centre of their campaign.