Uddhav Says BJP 'Unprepared' For Maharashtra Govt Formation: ‘No One Staked Claim, Yet No President’s Rule’

Uddhav Thackeray claims the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra is delaying government formation as it did not expect electoral victory. Thackery questions the lack of post-victory celebrations.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday accused the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra of delaying government formation, claiming the ruling parties were unprepared for their victory in the state polls. Thackeray made the remarks during an event in Pune, hours before the BJP announced that the swearing-in of the new government would take place on December 5.  

Speaking at a protest led by 95-year-old social activist Dr Baba Adhav against the alleged misuse of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and money power in the November 20 state elections, Thackeray questioned the lack of post-victory celebrations by the BJP-led coalition. Adhav concluded his three-day agitation by accepting a glass of water from Thackeray, news agency PTI reported.  

"When the Maha Vikas Aghadi was formed (after the 2019 elections), President's rule was imposed. This time, no one has staked a claim to form the government, yet there is no President's rule," said Thackeray, a former Maharashtra Chief Minister.  

He alleged that the Mahayuti allies had not anticipated their return to power and were unprepared for government formation. "They never thought they would come to power again, so they had no planning on who will be the Chief Minister or the council ministers. This is why government formation is taking time," Thackeray asserted.  

Uddhav Thackeray Alleges Discrepancies, Unusual Voting Pattern

Thackeray also raised concerns over discrepancies in the electoral process and called for a thorough count of all Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. "Anyone can see that a vote has been cast. But how does one verify how the vote has been registered?" he questioned.  

Claiming unusual voting patterns, Thackeray pointed out that as many as 76 lakh votes were cast in the final hour of polling on November 20, equating to an average of 1,000 votes per booth. "The length of queues outside polling booths did not reflect this," he claimed.  

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray also criticised the handling of the government formation process. He told ANI, "The date (of the oath-taking ceremony) comes from the Governor's Office. We congratulate the person who is going to take the oath, but anarchy is seen in the country. Someone has to claim to form the government, show a majority, and then all this is decided."  

The BJP-led Mahayuti coalition's decision to hold the swearing-in ceremony on December 5 comes amid ongoing criticism from opposition parties regarding transparency and preparedness in government formation.