Amid the mounting controversy over alleged indelible ink, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday asserted that "free and fair polling" was being ensured in the state local body elections. Dismissing Maharashtra Navnirnman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's allegations that a new pen has been replaced with the indelible ink, Shinde said that "the same ink has been used for years" and that "fair elections are being ensured". "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 here.
Following the incident of an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) being shut down at a polling station in Thane, the Deputy CM said the EC has taken "necessary precautions. Records are being maintained for locations where machines (EVMs) have malfunctioned. Therefore, the Election Commission has made proper arrangements and taken necessary precautions in this regard," Shinde said. The Deputy CM also addressed the issue of alleged fake votes in the elections, asking every party's members outside the polling stations to ensure the practice is avoided. "Since representatives from all political parties are present outside, it is the responsibility of the workers to ensure that no fraudulent voting takes place," Shinde asserted. Moreover, he hit out at the opposition for making false allegations to "cover up their loss in the elections". "They know they are going to lose, so they blame EVMs and make up stories to cover up for it," Shinde accused. Shinde claimed many people had turned out to vote and urged others to exercise their right.
"The polling is happening in 29 municipal corporations, and people are enthusiastic about the voting. A new trend of enthusiastic voters is emerging, which is essential for democracy. I urge people not to waste their vote and exercise their right in large numbers. Every vote matters in a democracy," Shinde said. Shinde voted at a municipal school in the Kisan Nagar area, along with his wife, Lata Shinde, his father, Sambhaji Shinde, and his son, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde. His remarks follow Raj Thackeray's concerns about the fairness of the ongoing Maharashtra municipal elections, asserting that he does not consider them legitimate if power is gained through fraudulent means. 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 the Election Commission regarding the issue.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray took a jibe at the ECI, asking whether they had "hired a sanitiser agency" to allow for the ink to be removed so easily. "Has a sanitiser agency hired by the Election Commission? I think action should be taken against the Election Commissioner. What have they done in the last nine years? The Election Commission is a servant, not a king. I urge you to come out in large numbers and vote," he said.
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A total of 1,03,44,315 citizens are eligible to vote in the BMC polls. Of these, 55,16,707 are men, 48,26,509 are women, and the number of other voters is 1,099. Polling for India's richest municipal corporation, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), began early Thursday morning, with hundreds of voters queuing to cast their votes and elect 277 new ward members, after a gap of nearly 8 years. The BMC elections recorded a slow start on Thursday, with only 7.12 per cent voter turnout recorded till 9:30 AM.