Maharashtra Election Results 2024: BMC Refutes MNS Candidate’s Allegations of EVM Manipulation in Dahisar Constituency

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has clarified that the MNS candidate from Dahisar assembly constituency, Rajesh Yerunkar, received 53 votes at a particular polling center, not two as he claimed. Yerunkar had previously alleged EVM manipulation, citing a viral video where he questioned a discrepancy between polling data and EVM counts. According to the BMC, Yerunkar's allegations were unfounded, stating that the official Form 17-C, which details vote counts, showed he had indeed received 53 votes at the center. The civic body also affirmed that the EVM data matched and no formal complaints were lodged.

Yerunkar, who finished third in the election with 5,456 votes, had claimed that four of his family members voted at the center, but he only received two votes. In the November 20 election, BJP's Manisha Chaudhary won the Dahisar seat with 98,587 votes, defeating her nearest rival, Vinod Ghosalkar. Additionally, the BMC addressed Yerunkar's concerns about the EVM battery, explaining that the voltage drop in the machine’s power pack is gradual when the battery is still high, leading to a display of 99% charged status even after polling. The BMC's clarification comes after the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) failed to secure a single seat in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, including that of Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray, and secured only 1.8% of the vote share.

Under the Election Commission guidelines, a party must meet specific criteria to retain recognition and a reserved symbol. Given the MNS' failure to meet these benchmarks, the ECI may take action. "The Election Commission is an independent body and may take a decision on the matter. It could send a notice to the MNS and cancel its recognition, This election marked the first time since the MNS entered politics in 2009 that it failed to win a single assembly seat. In its debut, the party won 13 seats. It managed only one seat each in the 2014 and 2019 polls. Raj Thackeray, reacting to the outcome, described the results as "unbelievable" in a brief statement shared on social media. The setback is likely to impact the MNS's visibility and voter appeal, especially if it loses recognition and its iconic election symbol.