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BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana on Sunday dismissed allegations raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, asserting that India's electorate has evolved and now votes with a clear understanding of leadership and governance.
Reacting to Thackeray's claims of irregularities, Khatana said, "In today's India, from Lok Sabha elections and assembly elections to the three-tier corporation system, today's voter is aware. Today's voter is casting their vote keeping the Prime Minister and Chief Minister in mind; old slogans no longer work." His remarks came after Thackeray questioned the credibility of the January 15 BMC elections, alleging missing names on voter lists, irregularities in counting, and misuse of power by the ruling alliance. Addressing a press conference, the UBT chief described the polls as "strange" and claimed that his opponents were fighting a desperate battle, allegedly resorting to cash distribution, coercion of candidates and forced withdrawals to ensure victory. Thackeray further questioned the early visibility of numbers on television channels even before counting was completed, casting doubts on exit polls and the overall electoral process. "I have received several complaints from voters that their names were missing from the voter list. At various locations, the results are surprising," he said, adding that such practices could undermine public trust in elections. The BMC elections, however, resulted in a decisive win for the ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising the BJP and the Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. According to official data released by the State Election Commission and the BMC, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 89 seats with 11,79,273 votes. Among all winning candidates, the BJP's vote share stood at 45.22 per cent. Its alliance partner, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), secured 29 seats with 2,73,326 votes, translating into a 5.00 per cent vote share. Together, the alliance formed the largest bloc in the civic body. On the opposition side, the Shiv Sena (UBT), contesting in alliance with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), won 65 seats. The UBT polled 7,17,736 votes, or 13.13 per cent, while the MNS added six seats with 74,946 votes, accounting for 1.37 per cent of the vote share. (ANI)
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