‘Elections not free and fair anymore’: Aditya Thackeray after ‘friendly’ meet with Kejriwal
Aditya Thackeray urged all the opposition parties to deliberate their next step as he accused the ECI of not being transparent over issues like voter deletions
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray described his meeting with AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday as a “gesture of friendship” and raised concerns over “electoral irregularities”.
Thackeray was accompanied by senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi, among others.
“Shiv Sena UBT had come here to tell him that governments come and go, but our relationship will remain. The people of Delhi know the work he has done in the last 10 years. Governments keep coming and going but relationships continue. We met Kejriwal as a gesture of friendship,” Thackeray told PTI after the meeting.
The Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Aam Aadmi Party are all constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed ahead of last year's Lok Sabha elections.
The Sena leader also accused the Election Commission of large-scale manipulation in voters' lists in multiple states, including Maharashtra, Haryana, Odisha and Delhi.
“In this election (in Delhi), the Election Commission had a big role. Be it the INDIA Bloc or all Opposition parties, we must think about what will be our next step as elections in our democracy are not free and fair anymore. It is important to discuss the issue of voter names' deletion,” he alleged.
Thackeray said that the issue would be formally raised by the opposition and said that free and fair elections were “necessary for the country”.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh expressed gratitude for the meeting. “All the Shiv Sena leaders and MPs are grateful for meeting Arvind Kejriwal. Aditya Thackeray assured that the foundation of the relationship will remain intact regardless of the result. Discussions were held on electoral irregularities,” he said.
The Sena leader urged all the opposition parties, including those not part of the INDIA bloc to deliberate their next step as “elections in our democracy are not free and fair anymore”.
Thackeray said efforts are being made to prepare a future roadmap for the INDIA bloc.
"There are many senior leaders for INDIA Bloc who will prepare its roadmap. INDIA Bloc has joint leadership. There is no one leader. This is not a fight of egos or for one's benefit but a fight for the future of the country," Thackeray added.
Thackeray met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday and repeated his allegations of electoral irregularities.
“Today, we don't know where our vote is going amid voter fraud and EVM fraud in the country. Are elections being held in a free and fair manner in our country today? We think we are living in a democracy, but it is no longer a democracy. What happened with us and Kejriwal ji and Congress, could happen with Nitish ji, RJD and Chandrababu ji Naidu in future,” Thackeray told reporters.
(With PTI inputs)
