Representative image.
Mumbai: Ahead of the local self-government elections, a delegation from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has urged the Election Commission of India to link the voter list with Aadhaar numbers to ensure greater transparency and credibility in the election process.
The delegation also demanded a thorough scrutiny of the voter lists to identify and remove Bangladeshi nationals.
The delegation, comprising Industries Minister Uday Samant, Tourism Minister Shambhuraj Desai, Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora, and former Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale, met with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Samant stated that the Election Commission has initiated a commendable effort by holding discussions with delegations from national and regional parties.
Under the guidance of Shinde, the Maharashtra deputy chief minister, the party's delegation presented their views to the Commission.
He reiterated Shiv Sena’s support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative and conveyed the party's official stance to the Commission.
Regarding transparency in the election process, Samant said discussions were held about the feasibility of linking the voter list with Aadhaar.
He further emphasized the need for voter list verification, especially in metropolitan areas like Mumbai, where Bangladeshi nationals are reportedly residing in large numbers. Names of such individuals, if found in the voter list, should be removed, the Shiv Sena demanded.
Samant also refuted reports that the delegation’s visit was related to the ongoing Supreme Court hearing regarding the party's bow and arrow symbol.