'Institutionalised corruption': Shiv Sena(UBT) on Mahayuti winning seats unopposed in local polls

Mumbai, Jan 5 The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Monday accused the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra of pushing the state towards an "unprecedented moral and democratic decline", saying that the ongoing municipal elections have become a "farce", characterised by the "mafia-isation" of democratic processes through money power and the intimidation of opposition candidates.

The trigger was the election of around 70 corporators who have been declared elected unopposed, which the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena claimed exposes a fierce competition between the BJP and the Shinde-led faction to secure these uncontested seats, symbolising the "distortion" of democracy.

The Thackeray camp in the scathing editorial of party mouthpiece 'Saamana' claimed that the current state of political affairs in Maharashtra has reached a peak of authoritarianism and institutional arrogance. If the ruling coalition intends to purchase electoral victories before a single vote is cast, the Election Commission should be disbanded entirely.

“Allegations have surfaced that opposition candidates were forced to withdraw after being offered massive bribes ranging from lakhs to crores of rupees. According to reports, the 'market price' for loyalty varied by city, comprising Thane Rs 5 to 8 crore, Kalyan-Dombivli Rs 3 crore, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Rs 2 crore, Panvel and Bhiwandi Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh, Ahilyanagar and Jalgaon, and Dhule Rs 15 lakh,” said the Thackeray camp.

It further added that payments were reportedly delivered directly to candidates' homes immediately upon their withdrawal, often without the permission of the political parties that originally nominated them.

According to the editorial, the BJP is facing accusations of extreme hypocrisy, described as acting like a "two-faced earthworm". In 2018, the BJP launched massive protests and legal challenges when the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won 34 per cent of seats unopposed in West Bengal, labelling it the "murder of democracy" and taking the matter to the Supreme Court. BJP, which once questioned the validity of over 16,000 unopposed seats in Bengal, is now allegedly employing the same tactics in Maharashtra while holding power.

Legal and political experts argue that "unopposed" victories should be invalid due to the NOTA (None of the Above) option on EVMs. “Voters have the right to reject all candidates. If NOTA receives the highest number of votes, the election must be cancelled and re-held.

The Thackeray camp further alleged that the ongoing municipal corporation elections are described as the most "nauseating and perverted" in Maharashtra's history. With claims that the administration, police, and candidates have been compromised by a "downpour of money", the very foundation of the state's prestige is under threat.

It hit out at the hoardings displayed by the ruling alliance leaders, claiming themselves as the architects of a "fast-paced Mumbai", by terming them as the architects of "fast-paced electoral corruption". “If victories are to be bought before a single vote is cast, the existence of the Election Commission itself comes into question,” remarked the Thackeray camp.

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