Sena UBT to move court over Mumbai North West LS results

Shiv Sena UBT leader and MLA Aaditya Thackeray announced on Monday that the party plans to pursue legal action regarding the results of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat. In this election, Shinde Sena’s Ravindra Waikar narrowly defeated Sena UBT’s Amol Kirtikar by 48 votes.

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Sena UBT Alleges Electoral Manipulation in Mumbai North West Seat

Shiv Sena UBT has accused the electoral machinery of misuse and manipulation in the Mumbai North West seat. Sena UBT chief spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut stated that Waikar should not take the oath. Raut said that stopping Waikar from becoming a Lok Sabha member until the investigation is completed would truly display democracy.

While Kirtikar and Sena UBT plan to challenge the decision in court, Sena UBT MLC and senior leader Anil Parab announced they will file a petition against Vandana Suryawanshi, the returning officer and additional collector of Mumbai Suburban district, for her decisions. “The poll results were suspicious. Therefore, we are seeking legal recourse. The counting process was transparent until the 19th round, but it lacked transparency afterward,” Parab alleged.

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Waikar’s Brother-in-Law Booked for Alleged EVM Tampering

Mumbai police booked Mangesh Pandilkar, Waikar’s brother-in-law, for allegedly using a mobile phone inside the polling center. Speculations suggest that the phone was used to “unlock” an EVM during vote counting, although returning officer Vandana Suryavanshi and Mumbai police denied these allegations. Vanrai police charged Pandilkar and polling official Dinesh Gurav under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for violating the EC ban on mobile phones inside counting centers.

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Returning Officer Denies EVM Manipulation Allegations

At a press conference on Sunday, Suryavanshi clarified that the phone belonged to data operator Dinesh Gurav, who only had access to the Election Commission’s ENCORE application system. This system allows returning officers to digitize votes, tabulate data round by round, and generate various statutory reports during the counting process.

Denying the allegations of manipulation of the EVM, Suryawanshi said that “EVMs are standalone systems and is independent of any device. There is no One Time Password (OTP) requird to programne or unlock it”.

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