Even as a ‘special three-day session’ of the newly-constituted 288 – member Maharashtra legislative assembly began here on Saturday, at which newly elected MLAs were to be administered the oath of office, the Opposition MVA has boycotted the special session and refused to take the oath, alleging non-transparency of functioning and rank incompetence of the Election Commission of India (ECI) including manipulation of the software in the EVS (Electronic Voting System) Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray said, “We boycotted the oath-taking ceremony today as democracy is being murdered by the use of EVMs…This (the Maharashtra Assembly elections results) is not the mandate of the public it is the mandate of EVM and the Election Commission of India…”
आमच्या मनात जी शंका ईव्हीएमबद्दल आहे निवडणूक आयोगाबद्दल आहे, ती व्यक्त करीत आहोत आणि आज निषेध म्हणून आम्ही शपथ घेत नाही आहोत.
– आदित्य ठाकरे, आमदार@AUThackeray pic.twitter.com/s6ktGtRPUF
— ShivSena – शिवसेना Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (@ShivSenaUBT_) December 7, 2024
Maharashtra’s opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Saturday boycotted the assembly’s oath-taking ceremony, alleging EVM misuse during the recent elections. Aaditya Thackeray questioned the public’s lack of celebratory response to the results, expressing doubts about the mandate’s authenticity. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar advised the opposition to address their concerns to the Election Commission or the court. CM Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar took their oaths, preceded by tributes to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
However, leaders of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have boycotted the oath-taking ceremony on the first day of the Maharashtra assembly special session. Talking about the opposition’s decision to skip the event, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray expressed doubts about the misuse of EVMs during the Maharashtra assembly election.
Talking to reporters, Thackeray said that his party has “decided that our winning MLAs will not take oath” on the first day of the Maharashtra assembly session to protest the misuse of EVMs during the election.
“If this was the mandate of the people, people would have been happy and celebrated it, but people did not celebrate this victory anywhere. We have doubts about EVM,” he added.
Thackeray further said that his party has boycotted the oath-taking ceremony as “democracy is being murdered by the use of EVMs.” “This (the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections) is not the mandate of the public it is the mandate of EVM and the Election Commission of India,” he added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra deputy CM and NCP chief Ajit Pawar responded to opposition’s decision – not to take oath today, saying, “There is no point in making such allegations here. They (opposition) should go to the Election Commission and if they do not get justice there, they should approach the court.”
Unfortunately the legendary details in courts over election petitions and similar grievances have ensured faith in the entire redressal system has been eroded. Soon after the commencement of the Lower House of the state legislature, which began at 11 am, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath as members of Maharashtra legislative assembly.
Before the oath taking, , Fadnavis along with Shinde and Pawar paid tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, at the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai on the first day of the special assembly session. Aaditya Thackeray and several Shiv Sena UBT party workers also marked their presence during the event.