Unopposed Results to Be Announced After ROs’ Reports

Mumbai:Although Mahayuti leaders claimed that 68 candidates were elected unopposed in municipal corporations, the official results will be declared only after the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) receives reports from the concerned Returning Officers (ROs) through the respective municipal corporations. A senior SEC official said the Commission is awaiting these reports, amid concerns raised by Opposition parties over the unopposed victories.

Several candidates withdrew from the race on the final day for nomination withdrawals on Friday, leaving some constituencies with only a single candidate in the fray. The exact number of unopposed victories is yet to be officially confirmed by the SEC.

The senior official explained that seeking reports from ROs is a routine procedure for unopposed elections. “A detailed report has been sought from the ROs through commissioners of the respective civic bodies,” he said. The process ensures that candidates elected unopposed have not used coercion to force others out of the race. The procedure follows a 2004 SEC order issued when Nand Lal headed the Commission.

According to the official, only 2.4% of candidates were elected unopposed in the 29 municipal corporation elections, which together account for 2,869 seats.

In this multi-cornered contest, 44 BJP candidates, 22 Shiv Sena candidates, two NCP candidates, and one candidate from the Islam Party in Malegaon faced no opposition.

The SEC plans to declare the results of unopposed candidates along with other candidates on January 16, the day votes will be counted.

Speaking to this newspaper, SEC chief Dinesh Waghmare said, “We are following the standing order issued in 2004. It states that for candidates elected unopposed, the concerned ROs must submit a report to the Commission. Only after SEC approval can the result be declared.”