Unopposed wins in Maharashtra civic polls: Cong demands NOTA, MNS leader moves HC

Mumbai, Jan 5 (PTI) A row over the "unopposed" victories of Mahayuti nominees ahead of civic polls landed in the Bombay High Court on Monday, with an MNS leader urging a stay on the declaration of results in 68 seats and a court-monitored inquiry into "mass withdrawals" forced by coercion.

Avinash Jadhav, who heads the Thane unit of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, alleged that opposition candidates were "forced, intimidated, or allured" into withdrawing their nomination papers through corrupt practices, which violates the 'free and fair' mandate of Article 243-ZA of the Constitution.

In a plea filed through advocate Asim Sarode, Jadhav demanded a court-monitored inquiry into the "mass withdrawals" and a stay on the declaration of results in 68 seats where the ruling BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have claimed uncontested victories.

The petition will be taken up for hearing in due course.

The issue has been dominating the poll campaign for the January 15 elections to 29 municipal corporations, marked by tangled alliances and a huge number of aspirants.

A day before, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray urged the State Election Commission to cancel results in 68 civic wards where ruling Mahayuti nominees were declared winners unopposed, saying uncontested victories effectively rob 'Gen Z' and first-time voters of their voting right.

Sharing the stage with MNS chief Raj Thackeray to unveil their joint manifesto for the upcoming polls to the Mumbai civic body, Uddhav warned that democracy must not be overrun by "mobocracy.” "If the SEC (State Election Commission) has courage, it should cancel elections where candidates were chosen unopposed and initiate the poll process again in those civic wards,” he had said.

Countering Uddhav, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had accused the Opposition of "finding excuses" in view of imminent defeat in polls. "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," Fadnavis said.

Joining the controversy, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal has demanded that voters be allowed to exercise the None of the Above' (NOTA) option even in civic wards where candidates are elected unopposed, so that citizens can exercise their constitutional right to vote.

"The BJP-led Mahayuti's greed for power has reached the point of swallowing democracy. The Devendra Fadnavis government is undermining democracy by using pressure, threats, and money power to force uncontested victories in municipal polls," he alleged.

Sapkal alleged a "blatant money game" is underway even before polling, and in order to win unopposed, leaders of ruling parties are even preventing Opposition candidates from filing nomination forms with the help of the police and the civic administration.

"The Election Commission is a mute spectator while such developments are afoot," the Congress leader added.

Defending the uncontested wins, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday said uncontested victories are good for democracy, and Opposition parties wishing to seek justice for themselves were free to do so.

Bawankule said there were no written rules stating unopposed elections should not take place, and the Election Commission has allowed it.

"If somewhere elections are taking place unopposed, then it is a good practice. The agenda of those who have won unopposed is development. Winning unopposed elections is good for democracy," he said.

Bawankule claimed there were several instances in the past where candidates had been elected unopposed to local governing bodies and gram panchayats. PTI MR SP AW ARU BNM NSK