The Election Commission of India has taken cognizance of a complaint filed by Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar against Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray alleging misconduct over holding a press conference on the voting day on May 20, and sought a report from the State’s Chief Electoral Office regarding the press conference. The EC's letter to the Chief Electoral Office seeks detailed information and content from Thackeray's press conference. Consequently, the electoral office has reviewed the press conference, translating its content into English for examination. "The draft report of the press conference has been sent to the Election Commission. It will be examined to verify whether the code of conduct has been violated," an official said. During the voting of the fifth phase on May 20, Thackeray held a press conference where he made serious allegations against the BJP and the Election Commission, accusing them of bias and improper conduct. Thackeray claimed that voter document checks were being disproportionately conducted in certain localities. Following this, Shelar filed a complaint with the EC, alleging that Thackeray violated the code of conduct by making false and misleading statements, and demanded stringent action against him.
