Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray on Saturday announced that the winning MLAs of the party will abstain from taking their oaths, citing alleged discrepancies in the electoral process. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Thackeray questioned the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs), claiming that the huge mandate that the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance received in the assembly elections was not given by the people.

“Today we have decided that our (Shiv Sena UBT) winning MLAs will not take the oath. 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,” Aaditya Thackeray said.

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However, Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader and MLC Sachin Ahir clarified that the party has not called for the boycott of the oath ceremony of newly elected MLAs but echoed Mr. Thackeray’s concerns claiming the mandate the Opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi received was not given by the people but EVMs.

“Today, we have not called for any boycott. We are participating in this process. We stand united for the national anthem, and many of our Shiv Sena MLAs are present here today. Now, the representatives of the three parties will sit together to decide the next steps. No decision has been made yet, but one thing is certain—the mandate we received is not the people’s mandate, but the EVM mandate. Public opinion and the EVM results are different,” he said.

Ever since the results of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly were declared, the Opposition has been alleging EVM tempering. The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 of the 288 seats, while the Opposition’s MVA coalition could manage just 56 seats.

Reacting to Mr Thackeray’s allegations, NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that there is no point in making such allegations and suggested they should go to the Election Commission or the courts.

“There is no point in making such allegations here. They (the opposition) should go to the Election Commission, and if they do not get justice there, they should approach the court,” he advised.

Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) leader Manisha Kayande also dismissed the allegations as baseless and inconsistent. “Look, these are very childish actions from their side, constantly expressing distrust. They distrust everything. They don’t trust any government institution. And when they win in the Lok Sabha, they say EVMs are fine. When they lose, they start questioning the EVMs,” she said.

Earlier today, the Maharashtra legislative assembly’s three-day special session began with senior-most legislator Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kalidas Kolambkar administering the oath to the newly elected MLAs. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his deputies Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, along with other ruling party legislators were administered the oath by Kolambkar. Kolambkar will also preside over the election of a permanent Speaker during this session of the 15th state assembly.