Amid speculation of an alliance between the Raj Thackeray-led MNS and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray`s Shiv Sena (UBT), both the leaders have raised the issue of “vote theft” and asked their party workers to check the electoral rolls to assess bogus voters, reported news agency PTI.
Their comments come at a time when similar allegations of manipulation of voter lists have been made by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and other opposition parties.
In last year`s elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, the Shiv Sena (UBT), which contested the polls in alliance with the Congress and Sharad Pawar`s NCP (SP), secured 20 seats, while the MNS did not win a single seat.
There has been speculation of a possible alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the forthcoming local body polls in the state, including the influential and cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
On Sunday, Uddhav Thackeray claimed 40-42 lakh voters were “infiltrated” in the electoral rolls after the Lok Sabha elections (last year). He asked his party workers to check the electoral rolls to assess bogus voters, reported PTI.
“Check whether there is vote theft in your ward. Check the voters` list and ensure that each person has only one vote,” he said, reported PTI.
On the day of polls, there is “bogus voting”, the former Maharashtra CM claimed, adding that at some places voting takes place twice, and even thrice, in the name of a single voter.
Speaking in Pune on Saturday, MNS president Raj Thackeray said he had been raising the issue of “vote theft” since 2016, reported PTI.
The Election Commission should have conducted a probe when both Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the BJP`s Anurag Thakur alleged voter list fraud, he said, reported PTI.
The MNS head also asked his party workers to scrutinise voter lists carefully.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday dubbed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as a “serial liar” while rejecting the latter`s allegations of “vote theft” against the BJP.
These “lies” of the opposition leaders are only meant to convince themselves, Fadnavis told reporters.
“I have said it earlier also that Rahul Gandhi is a serial liar. He has been spreading lies relentlessly. It pains me to see that even some leaders from Maharashtra have suddenly realised that Rahul Gandhi is speaking the truth,” he said.
Responding to Gandhi`s charge that votes were “stolen” by the BJP, CM Fadnavis said false information never has any foundation.
(With inputs from PTI)
