In a dramatic move, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray announced that his party's winning Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) would not take the oath during the special session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Thackeray raised serious concerns over the legitimacy of the recent election results, specifically questioning the role of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the process.

Speaking to the media, Aaditya Thackeray said, "If this was truly the people's mandate, there would have been celebrations, but none were seen." He added that the results of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections did not represent the will of the people, but rather "the mandate of EVM and the Election Commission of India." The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader?s comments pointed to a growing dissatisfaction within the party regarding the use of EVMs and their potential influence on election outcomes.

The special session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly began on Saturday with the swearing-in of newly elected MLAs. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, took the oath of office during the session. The session?s agenda also included the election of a new Speaker and setting the legislative tone for the upcoming winter session, which is scheduled to take place in Nagpur from December 16 to 21.

Earlier, on Friday, BJP senior leader Kalidas Kolambkar was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker by Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, marking the start of the assembly?s proceedings. The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, comprising 288 members, represents the lower house of the state?s bicameral legislature, and its members are directly elected from single-member constituencies.

In the backdrop of these proceedings, Aaditya Thackeray's allegations about the EVMs have stirred a fresh round of political debate in the state. The Shiv Sena (UBT), which had been a part of the opposition alliance in the elections, has raised doubts about the fairness of the results, accusing the current ruling alliance, the BJP-led Mahayuti, of leveraging electoral tools to secure victory.

The political climate in Maharashtra has been tense, especially with the formation of the new government under Chief Minister Fadnavis, following the elections. A large gathering of prominent political figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and senior leaders of the NDA, attended the grand ceremony earlier this week where Fadnavis took the oath of office alongside Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

As the political drama unfolds, the Shiv Sena (UBT)?s decision to boycott the oath-taking ceremony has added further fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding the legitimacy of the election process and the influence of EVMs in determining the outcome. The situation remains fluid as political leaders continue to voice their concerns, with the opposition calling for greater scrutiny of the electoral process.