Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of gaining power in the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) through the use of fraudulent voters. This allegation arises following the recent special intensive revision (SIR) process, during which the names of these purported bogus voters were removed from the electoral rolls. In response, BJP MLA Narendra Mehta dismissed Sarnaik’s claims as “ridiculous,” maintaining the integrity of the party’s electoral success.
The MBMC jurisdiction comprises the 145 Mira-Bhayandar and 146 Ovala-Majiwada assembly constituencies. A total of 5,14,955 voters were earlier registered in the electoral rolls of the two constituencies. Mapping of another 47,901 voters is still pending, while discrepancies have been found in the names of 48,379 voters. He alleged that around 55% of the earlier electoral roll consisted of bogus or fake entries and claimed that the BJP secured power in the civic body on the basis of these voters.
Because two lakh voters were deleted there as well, dismissing the allegation, Mehta asked whether the same logic would mean that the Shiv Sena came to power in Thane. Mehta pointed out that Shiv Sena MP Narendra Mhaske won votes from Mira-Bhayandar on the basis of the same electoral rolls. He asked whether this would also mean that Sarnaik himself won his election with the help of bogus votes.
Addressing a press conference, Sarnaik said the deletion of nearly two lakh names raised serious questions over the credibility of the earlier electoral rolls and alleged that the BJP’s victory in the civic polls was based on bogus votes. “By making such allegations, Pratap Sarnaik is proving himself to be a ‘Pappu’,” Mehta said. During the SIR process, around two lakh names were removed after they were found to be bogus. Sarnaik attacked the BJP over the issue, claiming that only around three lakh voters now remain on the rolls.