Mumbai:

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday said his party will seek legal recourse over the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat result, claiming victory was snatched from their candidate by “misuse” of the official machinery.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Thackeray said a petition regarding the “electoral malpractice” will be filed in the court in a day or two.

He termed as “fraud” the result of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat, where Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar lost by 48 votes to rival Ravindra Waikar of the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

“There is an ongoing debate on the election process and EVMs. I have already said Election Commission is an ‘entirely compromised’ commission,” Mr Thackeray said.

He claimed that if the election process was “free and fair”, the BJP would have won only 40 Lok Sabha seats and not 240.

“Our victory was snatched by misusing the official machinery. We will file an election petition in court, challenging the result of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat,” he said.

Mr Thackeray also said his party expects the EC to take suo motu (on its own) action, otherwise they will fight a legal battle and win.

Sena (UBT) leader and former state minister Anil Parab also said the Election Commission of India should take suo motu action based on the information available and declare Kirtikar as winner.

“The election result declared is suspicious. We are taking legal recourse for the misuse of official machinery under the Representation of the People Act. We are moving the court in a day or two,” he said.

Mr Parab claimed the counting process on June 4 for the Mumbai North West seat was fine till the 19th round but there was no transparency after that.

“Till the 19th round, our tally was 650 votes more than the opposite candidate,” he said.

All the counting agents of political parties tally the number of votes and the returning officer then finalises the number of votes counted, Parab said.

“The returning officer and the counting agents were seated far from each other where the tally of votes wasn’t possible because of the distance. Forms 17 C and 17 C part 2, which account for the number of votes polled, were not given to many candidates…there was a difference of 650 votes in our tally and that of the assistant returning officer till the 19th round,” he claimed.

Notably, the Vanrai police in Mumbai have registered a case against Waikar’s brother-in-law for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre in Goregaon (which is part of Waikar’s constituency) on June 4, when results of the general elections were announced.

Mr Parab said a mobile phone was used in an unauthorised manner and there is a doubt that the seized phone may have been changed after 10 days.

“A probe is also needed into the constant phone calls to the returning officer of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat. She would move away from her seat several times to talk on phone,” he claimed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

A day after agitation for reservation for the Maratha community turned violent in Maharashtra’s Jalna, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray slammed the state government and asked it to resign.

Talking to the reporters here, Aditya Thackeray said that it is not possible that the police will lathi charge without informing the Chief Minister.

“We all have seen what happened in Jalna…The lathicharge was very brutal as if you are attacking your enemy…The protest was related to a sensitive issue…It is not possible that the police will lathi charge without informing the Chief Minister…The state government should resign if they have a little bit of shame…,” the leader said.

Earlier on Friday, a clash broke out between Police and protesters demanding reservation for the Marathas in Jalna. Police resorted to lathi charges to disperse the protesters.

Several Opposition leaders have condemned Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led state government in the state.

Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Congress leader Ashok Chavan met protestors in Sarati Antarwali village.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray after meeting the protestors in Sarati Antarwali village asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give Maratha reservation in the special session in Parliament.

“When we were in power we tried to give you justice…There were agitations during our time as well but no one was lathi-charged. Our ministers spoke to the protestors every time…We all are together. You keep agitating but take care of your health too…Today you are being lathi-charged, some days back same thing happened in Barsu village too…is this democracy?… All cases against protestors should be taken back immediately…before a detailed investigation is ordered…I want to appeal to PM (Modi) to give Maratha reservation in the special session in Parliament,” Uddhav Thackeray said. 

Congress leader Ashok Chavan termed the incident as “inhuman”. The administration should have heard your issue politely this was your only expectation.

“When we came to know about the inhuman incident that happened in this village yesterday, Uddhav Thackeray asked us to meet you all…The administration should have heard your issue politely this was your only expectation. A special session has been called by the central government and I demand to change the law and give Maratha reservation…The Centre is doing One Nation and One Election but what about reservation?” Congress leader Chavan said.

Eknath Shinde made an appeal for peace and announced that a high-level committee would be set up for a probe into the violence.

“I appeal to the Maratha community, who have so far expressed their feelings sensibly and calmly with folded hands, to exercise restraint and not take the law into their hands,” he said.

“In November 2014, when the coalition government was in power under the leadership of then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the government announced the Maratha Reservation. The High Court also upheld the Maratha Reservation decision taken by the government. But the Supreme Court took a different decision. Everyone knows that this is due to someone’s negligence…The issue of the Maratha Reservation is currently in the court. The state government is fully prepared to fight this case in court…There are some difficulties, and the state government is trying to resolve them,” Eknath Shinde said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)