Congress leader for Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Manikrao Thakare (centre) was accompanied by AICC secretary, co-in-charge Anjali Nimbalkar and Congress president Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Prabhu Tokyo. (X/@Manikrao_INC)
Not a single BJP form was rejected in the civic polls, while nearly 80% of Congress forms were rejected in Dadra and Nagar Haveli bypolls, the Congress in-charge said, adding that a similar scenario played out in Daman and Diu.
The Congress on Sunday (Oct 26, 2025) accused the BJP of hijacking local polls in Dadra and Nagar Haveli by colluding with officials to get about 80% nomination papers of its candidates rejected.
The opposition party said it will take up the matter with the local poll authorities in the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu and also approach the Bombay High Court on the matter.
Manikrao Thakare, the Congress in-charge for Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, alleged that election “rigging” was going on in UT.
There is electoral fraud in Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
Here, a major fraud was exposed in local body elections. Entire elections were stolen in this region, beyond just stealing votes.
Address Press today on this at the AICC headquarters in Delhi along… pic.twitter.com/u1sJ63yVeW
— Manikrao Thakare (@Manikrao_INC) October 26, 2025
Neither the UT Election Commission nor the BJP immediately responded to the Congress’ claims.
“A big fraud has been exposed in the local body elections. Apart from stealing votes, the entire elections were stolen in this region. The BJP planned so well that no one objected to it and that’s how the entire elections were hijacked,” Thakare said at a press conference in New Delhi.
He was accompanied by AICC secretary co-residence Anjali Nimbalkar and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Congress president Prabhu Tokiya.
The nomination dates for the elections were announced from October 10 to 17 and hence the nomination forms were to be posted on the website to make it available to all, Mr. Thakare said.
However, he claimed that there was no mention of any such form on the commission’s website on October 10.
“On October 13, a list of documents was provided. When people went to collect these documents, they were told that the staff had gone to electoral training. Not only that, but those who somehow managed to fill in the forms had their forms rejected during the inspection. A conspiracy was hatched to prevent people from filling in the forms,” he said.
Not a single BJP form was rejected in the civic polls, while nearly 80% of the Congress forms were rejected in the Dadra and Nagar Haveli bypolls, Mr. Thakare said, adding that a similar scenario played out in Daman and Diu.
“The BJP has stolen the entire election with the help of officials. The public is suffering from this oppression,” alleged Mr. Thakare.
Published – 26 Oct 2025 20:06 IST
