Sanjay Raut questions record ‘unopposed’ civic poll victories in favour of BJP-led Mahayuti

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and chief party spokesperson Sanjay Raut criticised the record number of “unopposed” victories of BJP-led Mahayuti candidates on Saturday, even before elections to 29 municipal corporations scheduled for January 15 are held.

Directly attacking both Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Raut told media persons, “Elections will be held only on January 15, but even before voting could take place, 68 BJP-led Mahayuti candidates have been elected. What great work have these candidates done? If people get elected unopposed, why then are elections being held? What should voters do? Never in the history of the world have so many people been elected unopposed”.

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Incidentally, among those who got elected “unopposed” are 45 BJP candidates, 19 Shinde-led Sena candidates and two Ajit PAwar-led NCP candidates. The highest number of such “unopposed” candidates are from Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation, from where 15 BJP candidates and six Shinde-led Sena candidates were elected “unopposed”.

“Even great leaders have never been elected unopposed. Great leaders like Vasantdada Patil, Barrister Nath Pai, Ram Manohar Lohia, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and even Narendra Modi were never elected unopposed. So, what great work did these people do that got elected unopposed,” Raut asked.

“The fact is that anywhere between Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore was paid to rival candidates to get elected unopposed. They were made to withdraw their candidature. Money and pressure were used on a large scale to make rival candidates withdraw their candidatures. The figure given by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) Manoj Gharat is so big that anybody’s eyes will pop. Bags were filled with cash and distributed to opposition candidates in Jalgaon”.

“Returning officers of the Election Commission were ordered to accept withdrawal of candidature applications even after 3 pm. Phone calls came from the Chief Minister’s Office and Deputy Chief Minister’s Office. Call records of returning officers should be checked. That will solve the mystery of unopposed election victories,” he said.

“If candidates are being sold, what should voters do? The Election Commission has now asked for a report, but will the Municipal Commissioner give them a true report? The entire election machinery has been purchased,” Raut said.

He also demanded that a case be registered against Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar after a video showing Narvekar threatening a former MP in the office premises of the election officer of Colaba assembly constituency went viral. “This act of Speaker Rahul Narvekar is criminal in nature. The Election Commission should have submitted a report in this matter within eight hours. The state Home Minister (CM Fadnavis) should register a case against Rahul Narvekar,” he averred.

In the viral video tweeted on X by Sanjay Raut, Speaker Narvekar is seen threatening former MP Haribhau Rathod that his police protection would be withdrawn and the police will beat him if he “messes” with Speaker Narwekar.

Raut also sought a report on the matter from Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani. “The Election Commission is a pawn of the ruling party. The state Home Minister (Fadnavis) should take immediate action,” he said.

“The state is currently ruled by goons and gangs. The son of minister Bharat Gogavale is accused of murder and has been absconding for a month, yet the police cannot find him. What is the state’s Home Minister (CM Fadnavis) doing,” he asked.