The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections held on Thursday were marred by a significant controversy following allegations over the use of "indelible" ink to mark voters' fingers. Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, leaders of Shiv Sena UBT and MNS, respectively, claimed the i
As Mumbai goes to the polls for the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant on Thursday spoke on the alliance of the Thackarey brothers in this election, hailing it as a "stroke of luck".
"I have spoken with the Election Commission. They informed me that this ink has been in use for many years. The Election Commission has also taken full precautions to ensure that no fraudulent voting takes place," Shinde told the media after casting his vote in Thane.
Replying to Maharashtra Navnirnman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's allegations that a new pen has been replaced with the indelible ink, Fadnavis said, "creating a ruckus on everything and raising questions is very wrong."
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in Mumbai in the ongoing BMC elections, Thackeray alleged that a voting machine called "PADU" is being used, about which political parties were not given any prior information by the State Election Commission. He demanded an explanation from th
"Three political parties have come together purely for power and money; Marathi identity is not part of their agenda. That is why Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray have united on a single platform to protect Marathi interests," Raut said while addressing a press conference in Mumbai.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena are contesting the civic elections as allies under the Mahayuti banner, except in Pune, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has chosen to fight independently in most corporations.
The BJP leader also addressed concerns over an alleged threat to the Marathi identity in the wake of Raj Thackeray's statement, which made a strong pitch for Marathi unity and warned that the state's language, land, and identity are under threat.
Sawant emphasised that the party believes in bringing everyone along, noting that Mumbai has always been an inclusive city, which is why people live peacefully.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded to Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar's repeated corruption allegations in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), stating that the Deputy CM did not uphold the commitment of a "friendly contest."
"They are engaging in corrupt politics by crushing the Marathi language, Marathi culture, and Marathi identity. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry comes to Mumbai, insults the pride of Maharashtra, and leaves, and the Marathi rulers support him. This is a terrible situation," the editorial mentioned