Aaditya Thackeray Says EC Lacks Courage to Show Counting Day CCTV Footage of Mumbai's NW Seat

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, on Sunday, came down heavily on the Election Commission of India (ECI) by saying it lacked the courage to release the CCTV footage related to Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat concerning allegations that the winning candidate's kin used a mobile phone in the counting centre on the day of the results on June 4.

A media report said Mangesh Pandilkar, brother-in-law of Ravindra Waikar, who won from the seat by just 48 votes, had used a mobile phone to "unlock" an EVM when the votes were being counted, allegations that returning officer Vandana Suryavanshi and Mumbai police rubbished during the day.

Pandilkar and a polling official Dinesh Gurav have been booked by Vanrai police under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for flouting the EC ban on mobile phones inside counting centres.

"We have always had suspicions about this regime tampering with EVMs. Even Elon Musk has expressed his views, claiming everything can be hacked. Despite several requests, the Election Commission does not have the courage to release the CCTV footage of the counting day that would support our claims," Thackeray claimed. "Once a fraudster always a fraudster," he said referring to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Expressing concern over the alleged lack of transparency in the functioning of the ECI, Thackeray claimed the BJP would have won just 40 Lok Sabha seats and not 240 if polling was held using ballot papers instead of EVMs.

Addressing a press conference, returning officer Suryavanshi said CCTV footage can only be released on the orders of a competent court. (with PTI inputs)