In an unprecedented development ahead of Maharashtra's civic polls scheduled for January 15, a staggering 68 candidates from the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP—are set to be elected unopposed. This mass walkover has ignited a fierce political storm, with the Opposition crying foul and the State Election Commission (SEC) stepping in to investigate potential malfeasance.
The final day for withdrawal of nominations on Friday confirmed the clear field for these candidates across various municipal corporations. With 2,869 seats contested in a multi-cornered fight, the ruling alliance’s uncontested wins—44 from the BJP, 22 from the Shiv Sena, and two from the NCP—have raised eyebrows due to their scale and timing.
The trend is most pronounced in key regions:
Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC), the home turf of Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan, leads with 22 unopposed candidates (15 BJP, 7 Shiv Sena).
Jalgaon, the home district of Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, follows with 12 such candidates (6 BJP, 6 Shiv Sena).
Similar patterns emerged in Panvel (6 BJP candidates) and Pune (2 BJP candidates), where rival candidates from parties like the Congress, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) withdrew their nominations.
The Opposition has leveled serious allegations, accusing the ruling coalition of using a mix of intimidation and financial inducements to force rivals out of the race. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed in a social media post that returning officers were instructed to accept nomination withdrawals late into the night, facilitating what he termed "buying out victories."
"The sheer number of uncontested seats, especially last-minute withdrawals, points to a deeply worrying trend of mobocracy and the use of money and muscle power to subvert democratic contest," said a spokesperson from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Responding to the unusual situation, the State Election Commission has directed returning officers not to declare results in these uncontested wards until a thorough investigation is completed. This move underscores the institutional concern over the integrity of the electoral process.
These civic polls are already poised to be among Maharashtra's most divisive, with traditional allies contesting against each other and former rivals fighting together in a high-stakes battle for numerical supremacy. The uncontested wins, however, have added a layer of controversy, casting a shadow over the fairness of the electoral arena.
As the SEC probe unfolds, the focus remains on whether these uncontested victories reflect genuine political consensus or a deeper erosion of democratic norms. The outcome of this investigation could have significant implications for the political climate in Maharashtra, where civic polls often serve as a critical gauge of public sentiment ahead of larger electoral battles.
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