Raj Thackeray Faces Defeat: A Storm in Mumbai's Civic Polls

Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar accuses MNS chief Raj Thackeray of conceding defeat in the Mumbai civic polls, blaming the State Election Commission. The BMC elections see the first use of PADUs to mitigate EVM glitches. Voters are urged to support development, despite the Thackerays emphasizing Marathi identity.

Maharashtra BJP leader, Ashish Shelar, criticized Raj Thackeray for conceding defeat before the Mumbai civic polls concluded, holding the State Election Commission accountable for ongoing issues. He urged voters to focus on development and reject narratives centered around Marathi identity.

Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray expressed concerns about the introduction of new auxiliary voting technology during the elections. The Printing Auxiliary Display Units (PADU), used as backups for Electronic Voting Machines, were introduced by the BMC to ensure a seamless vote count.

Shelar argued that the core issue is progress and development, not ethnic identity, predicting a significant win for the BJP-led coalition. Meanwhile, BJP president Ravindra Chavan observed minor violence but anticipated overall success in state civic polls.

(With inputs from agencies.)