Mumbai, June 4

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) faced a major setback as its candidates withdrew their candidatures on Thursday, ensuring that ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance will win the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) election virtually unopposed.

Thursday was the last day to withdraw applications for the Legislative Council election and candidates withdrew their applications by 3 pm.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had announced Bal Mane as its candidate from the Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Legislative Council constituency, but he withdrew from the contest on Thursday, after which the Sena expelled him from the party for anti-party activities.

Bal Mane was originally a BJP leader. However, during the 2024 assembly elections, he left the BJP and publicly joined the Thackeray group. He contested the assembly elections from Ratnagiri against Cabinet Minister Uday Samant from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, but he had to face defeat in that election. After that, he was once again brought into the election fray through the Legislative Council. However, his withdrawal before the voting has completely changed the political equations in Konkan

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena's Devyani Dongaonkar was nominated from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-Jalna Legislative Council constituency, but she suddenly withdrew her candidature, after which the party expelled Devyani Dongaonkar and her husband Krishna Dongaonkar.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena candidate Anil Kadam who was supposed to be the candidate from the Nashik Legislative Council constituency withdrew from the contest and did not file his application. Congress candidate Sahebrao Kamble, who was nominated by the Congress to contest from the Yavatmal Legialative Council, withdrew from the election.

Reacting to these developments Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and chief Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut alleged here on Thursday that, “The ruling party (BJP) has spent a whopping Rs 150 crore to get our candidates to withdraw their applications. One of our candidates was given Rs 25 crore to withdraw”.
“From the information I have so far, the ruling party is adamant to ensure that elections are held unopposed and many unscrupulous methods have been adopted to achieve this. A large number of attempts were made to buy off opposition candidates and it succeeded in some places,” Sanjay Raut said.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), such transactions took place at Hotel Sofitel in Mumbai, located in the Bandra Kurla Complex. After that, our candidate in Konkan (Bal Mane) withdrew. Our candidate withdrew in Sambhajinagar. The person who fixed the deal informed us. The process of purchasing candidates is going on in Maharashtra. I think this is a way of destroying the state and the country. This is extremely dangerous for democracy,” Sanjay Raut said.
“The prices of horses were fixed only to withdraw their candidatures. I am not shocked at all. I expected this. That is why I kept saying from the beginning that this election is not ours. This election is not for party workers. This election is for those who can spend cash, do horse trading, as well as buy candidates and votes. This is not democracy. This was my honest opinion and I tried to present my opinion many times in my party. I was afraid that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would get discredited due to this, especially my party,” Sanjay Raut said.
Reacting to the withdrawal of MVA candidates from the poll fray, Maharashtra State Congress Committee President Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “Despite the BJP's power everywhere, it is still trampling upon democratic values in its desire for more power. Offers of crores of rupees have been made to opposition candidates in order to ensure that Legislative Council elections are won unopposed. The BJP has used all means to get candidates to withdraw nominations, putting aside all morality. The BJP does not want democracy. It wants a 'nomination system' instead of elections”.

“Voters of Legislative Council elections are the elected representatives in the local self-government bodies and it is a limited electorate. But in this election too, the ruling alliance has openly played the game of throwing money and enjoying the spectacle. There has been a huge distribution of money by the ruling party. The BJP and the Election Commission are in an unholy alliance. This picture is not good for democracy,” Sapkal said.

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Mumbai: Correspondent

Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) chief Uddhav Thackeray is like a python sitting idle at home who has swallowed his own party, said minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule in a sharp counterattack.

Earlier, during a “Nirdhar Melava” (Determination Rally) organized to build momentum for a march demanding correction of the voter list, Uddhav Thackeray had likened Union Home Minister Amit Shah to an “anaconda.” Responding to that remark, Bawankule launched a scathing criticism of Thackeray.

“Uddhav Thackeray, the python lazing around at home, has devoured his own party, his own Shiv Sainiks, and even the Hindutva ideology of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. In 25 years, he has swallowed Mumbai itself,” Bawankule alleged.

He added, “Instead of calling others an anaconda, Uddhav Thackeray should look at himself in the mirror. He is a python lying idle at home, spitting venom while living off others’ efforts. After his defeat in the Assembly elections, he has become frustrated and mentally unbalanced, which is why he is spewing such poison.”

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Pune, City Correspondent

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi recently launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging large-scale voter fraud. Responding to these allegations, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that in recent times, Rahul Gandhi seems to have contacted scriptwriters Salim-Javed to write his speeches. “This script is highly entertaining and is being recited everywhere, but beyond the entertainment, there is nothing substantial in it,” Fadnavis commented. “All his claims are purely fictional,” he added.

Fadnavis was speaking at the Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA) in Pune, where he was present as the chief guest for various programs. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also attended the event. During the interaction, CM Fadnavis was asked about Rahul Gandhi’s remarks.

The Chief Minister further said, “Rahul Gandhi is now claiming issues in the voter list, but we have been pointing this out for years. He doesn’t understand what a comprehensive revision of the voter list means. He is merely trying to find excuses for his electoral losses.”

Commenting on the recent INDIA alliance meeting, where Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, and Sanjay Raut were seen seated in the last row, Fadnavis took a dig at the opposition. He said, “With us, they were always in the front row sometimes even ahead of us. This shows the kind of respect they enjoy now. They used to proudly proclaim that they would never bow before Delhi or lay down the red carpet for Delhi, but it is truly painful to see their current condition despite not even being in power.”

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Hindi Language Controversy: Opposition to Hindi language is currently increasing in the state. The edge of politics has increased on this issue. The opposition is saying that Hindi compulsion is not needed. MNS chief Raj Thackeray and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray have announced different rallies. Meanwhile, today, Uddhav Thackeray and Marathi Language Study Center head Deepak Pawar held a press conference on this issue.

Deepak Pawar said, the office bearers of the School Education Study Action Committee met Uddhav Thackeray. Now we have organized a public meeting next Sunday (June 29). For this, we will also hold a sit-in protest on July 7. The protest will be held from Hutatma Smarak to Azad Maidan (Mumbai News).

Uddhav Thackeray said, we are not against Hindi language. But we are opposed to the compulsion of this language. Maharashtra itself truly worked to nurture the Hindi film industry. All the artists came to Mumbai and grew up here. Now the state government has started moving towards authoritarianism. There is a linguistic emergency, so we will definitely oppose it, Uddhav Thackeray said. Uddhav Thackeray appealed to those who are genuine Marathi lovers in the Bharatiya Janata Party to also participate in this movement.

Change in the date of MNS's march
MNS President Raj Thackeray had announced that he would take out a march this morning on the compulsion of Hindi language. However, now the date has been changed. Raj Thackeray himself has given information about this by posting on Facebook. Earlier, the march was organized by MNS on July 6. However, now this march will be held on July 5 instead of July 6.

Change in the date after political turmoil?
On the one hand, Raj Thackeray had announced in a press conference this morning (26) that he is organizing a grand march on July 6. However, within just a few hours, the date of this march has been changed. Only the date of the march has been changed. However, Raj Thackeray has said in his post that the place and time are the same. However, there is talk in political circles that Raj Thackeray has taken a U-turn after political turmoil.

Mumbai : Preparations for the local body elections have started in the state. It seems that all the parties in the state have started preparing vigorously for these elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party has started major preparations for the elections of major municipal corporations in Mumbai, Thane and Pune. Notably, this time, information has come to light that the BJP will contest these municipal elections on its own. The reason for this is that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a three-day tour of Maharashtra. Notably, he is on a tour of Vidarbha for all these three days. But even in this, he has indicated that he will contest these three municipal elections on his own.

Amit Shah, who is on a three-day tour of Maharashtra, reviewed the local body elections in the state. This time, it is said that he has given instructions to investigate the possibility of contesting the Mumbai, Thane and Pune municipal elections on his own. On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has great power in Mumbai and Thane. While Ajit Pawar also has power in Pune. Therefore, discussions have started in political circles about whether the BJP can contest on its own here.

Meanwhile, yesterday (May 27) Eknath Shinde met Amit Shah at the Sahyadri Guest House. At this time, it has come to light that Eknath Shinde has asked for 107 seats in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. There are currently 227 wards in Mumbai. Eknath Shinde has claimed that there are candidates from the Shinde group in 107 of them. Although Amit Shah has listened to Eknath Shinde's side, it has come to light that he has not given any concrete assurance.

Amit Shah, who is on a tour of Maharashtra, has reviewed the local body elections. He has also given instructions to party leaders to contest on their own in municipalities like Mumbai, Pune and Thane. But now the strength of the BJP has increased due to the fall of two factions of the Shiv Sena. In 2017, the BJP and Shiv Sena had entered the fray separately in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. At that time, the BJP had won 92 seats, while the Shiv Sena had won 84 seats. However, in the current situation, the comparative strength of the BJP is seen to have increased due to the division of the Shiv Sena into two factions. That is why there are indications that the option of fighting on its own is being seriously examined by the BJP.

In the last three years, giving a jolt to the Thackeray faction, many former corporators of Mumbai have joined the party led by Eknath Shinde. More than a hundred former corporators who won in the municipal elections of 2012 and 2017 are currently in the Shinde faction. They have left the Thackeray faction on the assurance that they will get a chance to contest in the municipal elections. Therefore, it is known that Dy. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has taken the stance that these corporators cannot be upset and the promise given must be kept.

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Mumbai : BJP leader Prasad Lad has launched a scathing attack on Uddhav Thackeray, saying that if the former Chief Minister's newfound love for the people had emerged earlier, Eknath Shinde would not have left him.

Lad's sharp response came after Thackeray accused the BJP of using Shinde to achieve its objectives in the upcoming Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections.

"Uddhav Thackeray's love for the people has sparked now, but if it had erupted earlier, Eknath Shinde would not have left him," Lad said in a statement.

Lad also criticized Thackeray's leadership, saying that he rarely visited the ministry after becoming Chief Minister and instead ran the government through Facebook Live.

"Uddhav Thackeray and Aditya Thackeray consistently misbehaved, leading to the MLA's decision to join the Hindutva agenda," Lad said.

The war of words between the two leaders comes as the power struggle in Maharashtra continues to intensify. The swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Ministers is scheduled to take place on December 5, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.

Uddhav Thackeray has been critical of the BJP's support for Shinde, saying that the party will do whatever it wants to do with Shinde after achieving its objectives in the elections.

In response to Thackeray's criticism, Lad said that the BJP will continue to support Shinde till the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. He also confirmed that Thackeray will be invited to the oath-taking ceremony, but it is up to him to decide whether to attend or not.

Key Highlights:

- BJP leader Prasad Lad fires back at Uddhav Thackeray's criticism
- Lad says that if Thackeray's newfound love for the people had emerged earlier, Eknath Shinde would not have left him
- Lad criticizes Thackeray's leadership, saying that he rarely visited the ministry after becoming Chief Minister
- The war of words between the two leaders comes as the power struggle in Maharashtra continues to intensify

Reactions:

- Uddhav Thackeray: "The BJP will continue to support Shinde till the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. After achieving its objective in the elections, the BJP will do whatever it wants to do with Shinde."
- Prasad Lad: "Uddhav Thackeray's love for the people has sparked now, but if it had erupted earlier, Eknath Shinde would not have left him."

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