Opposition delegation meets Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer ahead of local body polls

It flags concerns about alleged irregularities in the election process, including discrepancies in voters’ list

Mumbai: The Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, walked alongside NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress Working Committee member Balasaheb Thorat as a delegation of Opposition parties on Tuesday and met Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Chockalingam and flagged concerns about alleged irregularities in the election process, including discrepancies in voters’ list, in the run-up to the local bodies election in the State. 

Besides, another delegation submitted a memorandum to State Election Commissioner (SEC) Dinesh Waghmare.

The back-to-back meetings on Tuesday would be taken further on Wednesday, when the delegation leaders hold a joint meeting with the CEO and SEC. 

While Raj, who is the founder-president of MNS, is not part of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, he had come at the instance of Uddhav, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief — a development that is being seen as an indication of the charismatic leader and orator’s inclusion in the Opposition bloc. 

“The meeting will be taken ahead when the delegation meets Maharashtra’s CEO and SEC jointly,” said  Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, who had taken the lead in organising the “all-party delegation” to flag concerns about electoral process in the run-up to the Maharashtra’s local bodies election, being dubbed as mini-Vidhan Sabha polls.

Raut said the BJP, too, should have been part of the meeting because it is the need of the hour that the poll body holds elections in a free and fair manner. "The BJP is making similar demands in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Even the BJP should have been here," Raut said.

More than 60 per cent population of the State will vote in the elections, which involves  29 municipal corporations, 257 municipal councils, 26 zilla parishads, 289 panchayat samitis — spread across the five geographical regions — Konkan, Western Maharashtra, North Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha — making it a sort of mini-Assembly polls.

The Opposition delegation, which also comprised leaders from the Congress, Left parties, Peasants and Workers Party and Samajwadi Party.

They also demanded the use of  Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) in the local body polls, likely to be held later this year or early next year.

Another delegation, comprising Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Ambadas Danve and Mumbai South Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sawant, met Waghmare with similar demands.

“It is now evident that there are a lot of irregularities and it can be seen in various constituencies," NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, who was part of the delegation, said.

Raj has reportedly raised several issues about discrepancies in the voter’s list.

MVA is maha confused aghadi: Shinde 

Amid the Opposition delegation meeting CEO and SEC, Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde described the Maha Vikas Aghadi as “maha confused aghadi”. “They have lost confidence,” he said, adding that come what may, the Maha Yuti is going to win the local bodies election.