Fresh infighting in Mahayuti as BJP leaders accuse minister Sattar of facilitating fake voters

MUMBAI: Minorities development minister and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader, Abdul Sattar, is facing allegations of facilitating bogus registration of voters for electoral benefit. Leaders of alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have lodged a complaint against the minister claiming that 50,000 voters in his constituency are enrolled twice and they are either his workers, relatives, or employees of institutions managed by him.
Idris Multani, head of the state minority cell of BJP and Suresh Bankar, secretary, state BJP, have made a complaint to collector of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in this regard. “We have submitted multiple proofs of similar names, photos, and age of voters within Sillod (Sattar’s constituency) and adjoining constituencies like Bhokardan, Kannad, etc. In Sillod, 28,000 voters are repeated. They are registered under different residential addresses,” said Multani.
Bankar claimed that the minister ensures fake voting with the help of these voters. “We have been assured by the collector of action as the summary revision of electoral rolls is underway. If no action is taken, we will move court.”
Chhatrapati Sambjhaji Nagar collector, Deelip Swami, said that they have appealed to the people to come forward and apply for the deletion of such names. “Or else, we will register a case against such voters. In election year, the deletion is done very carefully by following the due process. We will do all it takes to ensure clean rolls,” he said.
Meanwhile Multani has demanded that the Sillod constituency, which Sattar represents, should be conceded to the BJP. He said, “It must not be allotted to Shinde Sena. Sattar did not work for BJP’s Raosaheb Danve in Lok Sabha election.”
The latest allegations by the prominent BJP leaders have raised eyebrows in political circles as these signal that all is not well within the ruling alliance. Speculations are also rife that Sattar, who switched loyalties from Congress in 2019 and joined Shiv Sena and later went with the Shinde-led faction, is reportedly keen on returning back to Congress ahead of the assembly polls.
Sattar was not available for comment despite repeated attempts by HT. His office said he was busy in meetings. A party colleague from his district, Sanjay Shirsat, said, “The election commission will take note of it as the complaint has substance to a certain extent.” However, he is hopeful that the leaders of the two parties – Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis – will amicably sort out the differences within the alliance.