About 67 candidates, all from the BJP-Shiv Sena led Mahayuti alliance, won unopposed in the Maharashtra municipal elections. The State Election Commission has ordered an enquiry into the matter after opposition candidates in several muncipalities alleged being threatened and intimidated to withdraw their applications.
The Election Commission has said that the unopposed candidates will not be declared as official winners until the probe report is submitted. A thorough investigation will be conducted to ensure that no candidate won by pressuring or forcing the opposition to withdraw nominations.
Out of the 67 seats won without an election. 45 seats went to BJP candidates, followed by Shiv Sena with 19 posts. The NCP Ajit Pawar party won two seats, and an independent candidate won one.
The BJP won the largest number of seats unopposed in the Kalyan-Dombivalli Municipal Corporation with 15 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 6 making up a total of 21 unoppposed candidates.
In Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune, two BJP candidates each won unopposed. Across four muncipalities in North Maharashtra, 17 people were elected unopposed, with 10 from BJP, six from the Shiv Sena (Shinde) and one person from the local Islam Party in Melagaon
In Thane, seven Shiv Sena (Shinde) candidates were elected unopposed. All seven candidates were considered close to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In Panvel, all eight unopposed candidates were from the BJP.
Candidates from the Colaba area of Mumbai alleged that the Mahayuti alliance pressured them into withdrawing nominations.
In Solapur city, MNS leader Prashant Ingle levelled serious allegations against BJP MLA Vijay Deshmukh and his son Kiran Deshmukh of exerting pressure on the opposition candidate to contest unopposed. Ingle alleged that the Blasahed Sarvade, the city president of the student wing of the Navnirman Sena party, was murdered so that his cousin's wife, who had a ticket to contest the election, would withdraw, Loksatta reported.
The municipal elections will be held on January 15, and the results will be announced on January 16.
