Palghar bypoll result 2018: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at Sena Bhavan in Dadar on Thursday. (Express Photo/Prashant Nadkar)
Following the defeat in the Palghar bypoll, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday reiterated that the party would not forge an alliance with the BJP in the future. “Though the Sena has lost the Palghar bypoll, I refuse to accept defeat,” he told mediapersons after the results were declared. “The party would contest all future elections solo.”
Uddhav, however, refused to answer queries on whether the Sena would now quit the Maharashtra government.
Referring to the Assembly and Lok Sabha bypoll results, Uddhav said the BJP’s downfall has begun. “Out of 11 bypoll seats, the BJP won only two. In 2014, the BJP won the polls with a full majority and it was presumed that the BJP would stay in power for the next 25 years. But the situation has changed in just four years. The BJP’s downfall has started,” he added.
He further expressed doubts regarding the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).
Uddhav refused to answer queries on whether the Sena would now quit the Maharashtra government. (Express Photo/Prashant Nadkar)
“Balasaheb was banned from voting and contesting polls for corrupt practices. Now, all political parties should file a case against the Election Commission (EC) for a corrupt system,” said the Sena president.
Earlier, the Sena lodged a complaint with the EC, demanding a recount in Palghar, alleging discrepancies in five rounds of counting.
Uddhav said the party will move court if needed. He also questioned how voter turnout was calculated the following morning at about 1 lakh votes more than the turnout estimated on the evening of polling.
“The EC is giving lessons on internal party democracy to political parties. The Election Commissioner should also be elected and not selected,” he said. Uddhav further said that no case was registered in an alleged incident of the BJP distributing money in the Palghar constituency.
“Who were the election officials there? If such things continue in 2019, then we have to say that democracy is finished. All parties should now consider not contesting the polls,” he said, demanding the suspension of the Returning Officer for the Palghar bypoll.
“I am not ready to accept this defeat because ‘saam, daam, dand, bhed (negotiation, money, punishment and division)’ were used to win the polls,” Thackeray said.