Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the Shiv Sena (UBT), has alleged fraudulent voting practices in Thane during the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Speaking to party workers at Gadkari Rangayatan in Thane, Thackeray urged them to remain vigilant and focus on verifying electoral rolls to prevent bogus voting. He accused the state government of “bribing” voters with the announcement of the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, a scheme aimed at empowering girls, ahead of the assembly polls.
Thackeray further criticized Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, accusing him of “bowing” before Delhi and claiming that the assembly elections are a fight against those who “hate” the state. Thackeray highlighted the allegations made by former Sena (UBT) Thane MP Rajan Vichare, who claimed the duplication of 1.6 lakh voters during the Lok Sabha elections and speculated that the figure might reach 1.7 lakh in the assembly polls. Vichare had approached the Thane election department seeking a re-examination of voters’ lists but was met with indifference.
“It appears that the administration is disregarding our plea for an investigation. I am imploring party workers to authenticate names in their respective areas and remain vigilant…,” Thackeray stated. He added, “The public is extending their support to us, which was seen in LS and MLC polls. They [govt] are now likely to resort to employing unscrupulous tactics like financial inducements…”
In response to Thackeray’s accusations, Shinde claimed that Sena UBT was unaware of the ground realities. “They have been rejected by citizens, which is evident from the high strike rate that we got in LS poll results…They are criticising my Delhi trips which are for our state’s advancement. But he [Thackeray] seems to have disregarded how, in the past, Delhi politicians used to frequent Matoshree [Thackeray’s residence] and how he is now helplessly travelling to the capital seeking a position of power..,” Shinde retorted.
