Opposition Flags Foul Play As 32 BJP, Sena Candidates Win Unopposed

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, sparking demands for the NOTA option and legal action.

Thane district alone accounts for an astounding 47% (32 candidates) of the 68 candidates declared elected unopposed in municipal corporation polls in the state.

With 20 uncontested candidates, the BJP leads the total, followed by the Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, with 12. Fourteen BJP and six Shiv Sena candidates won Kalyan without facing any opposition, while six candidates from each of the two dominant parties won Thane and Bhiwandi.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Thane unit chief Kedar Dighe on Sunday 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 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.

On Saturday, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) hinted that it would take the "unopposed" assertions to court.

According to an MNS official, party president Raj Thackeray has been updated on the issue by the party's Thane-Palghar head, Avinash Jadhav.

Six candidates were the only challengers in their respective wards, but the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) stated in a statement on Saturday that their names have been sent to the State Election Commission (SEC) for a final judgement.

Notably, no candidate has been declared elected without opposition in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) elections, where the BJP and Shiv Sena are running against one another.