Mumbai, Aug 7 The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday strongly criticised State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dinesh Waghmare's decision to not use VVPATs in the upcoming local and civic body elections in Maharashtra, calling the move "suspicious" and a threat to democratic transparency.
In a sharply worded editorial in its mouthpiece, Saamana, the Thackeray faction asserted that if the voting process is delayed due to the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs, as cited by the SEC, then elections must be held using traditional ballot papers to safeguard democracy.
“The BJP won the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh by rigging the EVMs. There was no chance of the BJP winning in Madhya Pradesh, but the results were shocking. Everyone, including Rahul Gandhi, is of the firm view that the voting was rigged. The EVMs used in Madhya Pradesh are being brought to Maharashtra. This is a serious matter," observed Thackeray camp while objecting to the SEC’s announcement that VVPATs will not be used in the ensuing local and civic body polls.
Thackeray camp also hit out at the SEC for its announcement that there will be no change in the voter list. “Doesn't our Election Commission know that India is the third or fourth largest economy in the world, and there is a celebration of the success of 'Operation Sindoor'? The Election Commission says that since VVPAT machines take time in the voting process, they will not be used. The BJP insists on EVMs so that the election process does not take time. EVM machines are the biggest fraud in the world's democracy. Yet they are used in India. The Election Commission of India and its political fathers say that EVMs are transparent and save time. So why keep the VVPAT system associated with EVMs away? This is a fraud," charged the Thackeray camp.
The Thackeray camp said that the EVMs and voter lists in the Maharashtra Assembly elections were manipulated. It alleged that in the last two hours of voting, six lakh voters suddenly increased, and all these votes went to the BJP. There were no queues at the polling stations in the evening. Still, the BJP spokespersons in the judiciary will not understand the serious matter of the spike in six lakh voters.
“Against this backdrop, the Fadnavis-led government is going to hold local body elections. How administrators have looted in 27 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, in the last three years can be seen in the case of Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Anil Pawar. In municipal corporations like Ahilyanagar, 'roads' worth Rs 300-400 crore were made on paper. The Urban Development Minister looted thousands of crores through various means. With that looted money, he bought public representatives of other parties and will now contest the upcoming local and civic body elections. If someone files a petition in the court, the BJP has already placed its spokespersons on the bench from Mumbai to Delhi to dismiss it. Thank you. It is our democracy and our independent electoral system," taunted the Thackeray camp in Saamana.
Thackeray camp further said that for the last three and a half years, there have been no elected bodies in 27 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, zilla parishads, and municipalities. The government did not allow elections to be held and ruled the local bodies by appointing its own people as administrators. Shinde, Fadnavis, and others postponed the elections by giving various reasons. However, now the Supreme Court has given a schedule for holding the elections, which has put a stop to the stalling tactics of the MahaYuti government.
“The current mess in the municipal elections has never been made before, but the policy of the BJP and its allies is to create problems and waste time by filing objections, confusion, and court petitions. During this period, people from their cadres were appointed to the Election Commission. They appointed their people too at the district administrative level. Even in the judiciary, up to the High Court, BJP spokespersons were appointed, then they would face the elections, and for that purpose, pigeons were put in cities like Mumbai (referring to the controversy over the closure and re-opening of pigeon houses or kabutar Khana). This is all being done keeping in mind the much-awaited local and civic body elections,” claimed the Saamana editorial.
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