Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray stated that the final rolls have yet to be published. “If mistakes exist in the final rolls, who will resolve them?” he questioned.
The elections for 29 municipal corporations, including the affluent Mumbai, are scheduled for January 15, with vote counting to take place on January 16.
Former Mumbai mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar pointed out issues in the voters’ list.
“Citizens have not been informed whether the electoral rolls have been corrected. How reasonable is it to announce elections when there have been no amendments to the electoral rolls?” she questioned.
Also read: Shiv Sena, BJP to form alliance for municipal elections in Mumbai and other locations: Sources
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande asserted that elections are being held with inaccurate electoral rolls.
“Raj (Thackeray) Saheb has indicated what action should be taken against fraudulent voters. The next mayor of Mumbai will be a Marathi manoos, and the Marathi community will approach the BMC polls with that intent,” Deshpande remarked.
Criticism from the opposition, particularly from cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, has centered on the electoral rolls, citing numerous discrepancies in the voters’ list.
The forthcoming elections represent a vital political contest between the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) across key urban areas, a year after the assembly elections.
This election will also be a pivotal moment for the Thackeray cousins, testing the strength of ‘Brand Thackeray’, which faced significant challenges in the assembly elections.
In preparation for the elections, Uddhav Thackeray has reconciled with his previously estranged cousin Raj, leading both Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS to potentially collaborate for a united effort.
