"Names of thousands of voters missing": Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleges irregularities in BMC elections

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 16 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Friday raised serious allegations over the conduct of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, claiming large-scale irregularities in voter lists, malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and violations of the Model Code of Conduct.
Addressing a press conference on results day, Raut said that the voting pattern being witnessed in Mumbai was "a serious matter", alleging that names of thousands of voters were missing from electoral rolls in areas where Shiv Sena (UBT), Maharashtra Navinirman Sena (MNS), and Congress traditionally receive strong support.
"Names of thousands of people, who have even voted in the Assembly elections, are missing from the voter list. This is happening specifically in areas where Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS or Congress votes are prevalent," he alleged.
Raut also claimed that EVMs were malfunctioning at several polling booths. "Where the vote button was pressed for NCP, the light turned on for BJP. The same happened with the flaming torch symbol of Shiv Sena (UBT) and the engine symbol of MNS," he said, adding that repeated complaints to the Election Commission have gone unheard.
Questioning a meeting between senior BJP leaders and the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner, Bhushan Gagrani, Raut alleged a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. "Yesterday, at around 6 pm, a meeting was held between the senior BJP leaders and the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner. Why? The Code of Conduct is still in place. You sit with the commissioner for 1.5 hours and decide what? Did you decide the result for today by any chance?" he asked.
Raut further raised concerns about the timing of exit polls, claiming they were released before official voting percentages were announced. "The exit polls arrived even before the voting percentage. What is this? The exit polls came even as voting was still underway in some places, but the BJP-linked outlets began releasing them one by one. The BJP leaders began celebrating their victory. What kind of democracy is this?" he said.
Despite the allegations, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader expressed confidence in his party's prospects. "I am 100 per cent sure that our mayoral candidate will be elected. We have assured the people that they need not be afraid. People have voted for us," Raut said.
However, he added a note of caution, saying, "If the votes were manipulated in the EVMs, then we don't know. But we don't think so."
Earlier on Thursday, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray raised concerns about the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Elections 2026, citing issues with voter lists, removable ink, and old EVM machines.
He alleged that the Election Commission is not doing enough to address these problems and accused the government of trying to manipulate the electoral process.
"There are many places from where complaints are coming in. Some people's names are missing from the voter list. For the first time, we can remove the ink. These people are creating all this mess, which is why I asked: What does the Election Commission or the Commissioner do? Old EVM machines have been installedm" said Uddhav Thackeray.
Thackeray's comments come amid reports of EVM malfunctions, voter list confusion, and allegations of vote buying in various parts of Mumbai and other cities.
The opposition has demanded an investigation into these irregularities, while the State Election Commission has assured that it is taking steps to ensure a fair voting process. (ANI)