Shiv Sena (UBT) Allowed to Accept Public Donations for Maharashtra Elections
The Election Commission of India has approved the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party’s request to accept public contributions for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. This decision follows the party’s split in 2022 when CM Eknath Shinde and most MLAs left.
A delegation led by General Secretary Subhash Desai met the Commission in New Delhi. The ECI’s authorization allows the party to receive voluntary donations from individuals and companies, excluding government companies, under specific sections of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
The ECI stated that these contributions are exempt from certain income taxes under Section 13 A of the IT Act. Previously, the ECI also allowed the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) to accept public donations ahead of state elections.
In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP-SP, won 17 seats in Maharashtra, while the BJP’s seats dropped to nine from 23 in 2019.
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Shiv Sena (UBT) -: Shiv Sena (UBT) stands for Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). It is a political party in Maharashtra, India, led by Uddhav Thackeray.
Election Commission of India -: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a government body responsible for overseeing elections in India, ensuring they are fair and free.
Maharashtra assembly elections -: These are elections held to choose members of the legislative assembly in the state of Maharashtra, India.
CM Eknath Shinde -: CM Eknath Shinde is the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He was part of the Shiv Sena but split from the party in 2022.
MLAs -: MLAs are Members of the Legislative Assembly. They are elected representatives in the state government.
Representation of People Act, 1951 -: This is a law in India that provides the rules for the conduct of elections and the qualifications for being elected.
