Mumbai University postpones senate elections just a day before voting, Aaditya Thackeray criticises decision

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Mumbai University has announced the postponement of its senate elections for nominee representatives, just a day before voting was set to take place.

The elections, originally scheduled for September 22, 2024, had been notified on August 3, 2024, under Clause 28(2)(n) of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act of 2016.

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The university's circular highlighted the importance of notifying all involved parties - voters, candidates, and election officers - through the appropriate election authorities and polling station heads. The document also stressed that all appointments and responsibilities related to the election process should be fulfilled in a timely manner. Despite this, the abrupt cancellation has raised questions. In response, the voter list will remain valid until further instructions from the government are received, according to the circular.

The notice concluded with a request for all election-related personnel to follow through with their duties as previously outlined. Political Reactions Spark Debate The sudden postponement has triggered a wave of political responses.

Pradeep Sawant, former senate member of the Yuva Sena, expressed his concerns, saying, "What does IIT have to do with this? After UDCT was converted into a university, there is a legal provision regarding how the graduates who received their degrees from Mumbai University would be recorded. The government's reasoning is flimsy and lacks substance."

Aaditya Thackeray, leader of the Yuva Sena and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to voice his outrage. In a strongly worded post, Aaditya criticised the cancellation, linking it to political fears within the ruling party. "The cancellation of the Mumbai University Senate election for Graduation only shows how scared the BJP and the illegal CM, Shinde, are of the Yuva Sena - a youth organisation. Shinde's gaddaar gang is so scared of elections that they order."