The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified it is the Shiv Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) that had briefly held back permission to the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) public rally in south Mumbai.
Senior officials in the ECI said the permission request, which was first received by the Returning Officer, Kala Chowkie, was forwarded to the Election Department of the BMC. The application was stuck at this point before it was finally cleared.
Mr. Thackeray is scheduled to hold a rally at Shahid Bhagat Singh Maidan, Kala Chowkie, on Tuesday, officials said.
“The confusion was at the BMC end since we had duly and in time forwarded the application of the party to them (the BMC). Since the party is not contesting elections, the ECI did not hold jurisdiction on the permission,” an ECI official said.
It was speculated that the MNS had to shift the venue from Wadala to Kala Chowkie after the ECI denied permission based on complaints from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ECI, however, denied receiving any complaints from the BJP or any other party against the MNS. “We are not in receipt of any complaints against the MNS,” the ECI official said.
The MNS chief has emerged as the principal opponent of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by repeatedly mounting sharp attacks on the National Democratic Alliance’s flagship schemes in his rallies. Earlier, his party had decided not to contest the Lok Sabha elections on any seat in Maharashtra.