Civic polls: 68 Mahayuti candidates elected unopposed, including 44 of BJP
Mumbai (PTI): The BJP and its Mahayuti allies have won 68 seats unopposed in the Maharashtra civic polls scheduled for January 15, even as the Opposition parties alleged the ruling combine used threats and money to force candidates to withdraw from the fray.
Across the state, as many as 68 candidates from the BJP and the Mahayuti have been elected unopposed, reflecting the party's growing strength in urban local bodies, BJP leader Keshav Upadhye said on Friday.
This includes 44 from the BJP, with the highest number being from Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation in Thane district, followed by Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Panvel, Bhiwandi, Dhule, Jalgaon and Ahilyanagar.
BJP candidates Manjusha Nagpure and Shrikant Jagtap from Pune's ward number 35 were elected unopposed after their opponents withdrew their nomination forms. The two were elected from the ward between 2017 and 2022.
Hailing the wins, Union minister and senior BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol said the next mayor of Pune will be from his party.
"We have a target of 125 seats, out of which we have already won two, so 123 are remaining. Two seats were won unopposed. This is a certificate for our party's good governance," Mohol claimed.
The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has seen 22 of its candidates getting elected unopposed, while the figure was two for Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party.
BJP leaders attributed the trend to the popularity of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and what they described as the successful electoral strategy of state unit president Ravindra Chavan.
These have helped the BJP emerge as a dominant force not only in municipal councils but also in major municipal corporations, the leaders added.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, meanwhile, accused the ruling dispensation of using money and threats to get opposition candidates to withdraw from the fray.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, in a post on X, claimed that returning officers had been directed to accept the withdrawal of nomination from candidates till late in the night.
These withdrawals of nomination were to be considered as if they had been presented before the 3 pm deadline on Friday, he claimed.
"A friend of mine, who is in this election process, said this (accepting the form beyond 3 pm) would not be appropriate. He was told by the guardian minister, in a tone that sounded both a request and as a threat, that he should listen to what the local MLA says," Raut claimed.
This is mobocracy in the name of democracy. One day, there will be a public uprising like in Bangladesh and Nepal, he further claimed.
The Shiv Sena on Friday claimed five of its candidates have been elected unopposed to the 131-member Thane Municipal Corporation.
Six BJP candidates have been elected unopposed after the scrutiny of nomination papers for the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) polls in Maharashtra's Thane district, the party claimed.
Three Shiv Sena candidates and one BJP contestant were declared unopposed following the scrutiny of nomination papers for the Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation polls in Thane district, an official said on Thursday.
"Why do you hold polls if you want to win them before voting. Both the ruling parties should distribute it amongst themselves. Democracy has ended in India and the state. They chose weak candidates of the opposition and got their work done," MNS leader Avinash Jadhav said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant also accused the ruling parties of putting pressure on Opposition candidates to ensure such unopposed victories.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
