Shiv Sena UBT Slams Election Commission Over Vice President Poll, Alleges Vote Stealing and Horse Trading
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction has fired sharp criticism at the Election Commission of India, claiming it isn’t taking elections seriously—even for a top constitutional role like Vice President. In a bold editorial in their party newspaper Saamana, the Thackeray camp accused the poll body of allowing vote-stealing, black money, blackmail, and threats during the recent Vice Presidential election.
They point fingers at the victory of RSS-backed candidate CP Radhakrishnan, suggesting it came through unfair means. "If this really happened, then Radhakrishnan’s win as Vice President involved dirty tricks like vote stealing and intimidation," the editorial stated. The Shiv Sena UBT demands big changes: make voting compulsory for all, scrap secret ballots for open voting, and cancel recognition of parties that skip polls or play neutral through horse trading.
The editorial highlights how opposition parties, with 315 votes, saw their candidate B Sudarshan Reddy get only 300. Around 15 votes went invalid, mostly from the opposition side due to "technical errors." Shiv Sena UBT suspects foul play, saying just two to five votes might have crossed over, but many invalid ones favored Reddy. Parties like Biju Janata Dal and Bharat Rashtra Samiti chose neutrality out of fear from probe agencies, which the camp calls unconstitutional.
Targeting the BJP, the Thackeray group says the ruling party pulled the same stunts here as in local polls like Gram Panchayat or Assembly elections. With NDA’s majority and endless resources, they claim the BJP drummed up a "huge victory" narrative after Radhakrishnan’s win. "Parties elected to Parliament join horse trading and boycott votes by striking neutrality deals. We need to stop this," the piece urged.
Shiv Sena UBT also wants Radhakrishnan, as the new Vice President, to prioritize a law banning horse trading in President and Vice President elections right after his oath. They slam the BJP for boasting about splitting opposition ranks, which they say erodes the post’s dignity.
The editorial raises questions about former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who "disappeared" after resigning and hasn’t surfaced even post-election. "No one in NDA speaks on this. The new Vice President must address this invisible issue to uphold the Constitution’s prestige," it added.
On secret voting, Shiv Sena UBT argues it makes splitting votes easy in the BJP era. Rumors from BJP circles claimed cross-voters fled abroad with ruling party help, but the camp insists only a handful betrayed—most stayed loyal. "A constitutional figure like the Vice President must act impartially. Radhakrishnan now carries the duty to protect democracy and the Constitution’s honor," the editorial concluded, warning that his true colors will show soon.
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