Maharashtra poll schedule is BJP's ploy to limit MVA's time for govt formation: Sanjay Raut
Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission's Maharashtra poll schedule, which gives only 48 hours for government formation, is the BJP's ploy to ensure the MVA is unable to stake a claim.
The current assembly's term ends on November 26. The state will go to polls on November 20, and the votes will be counted on November 23.
Speaking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha MP alleged, "The BJP with Amit Shah seems to have accepted that the party would not win the Maharashtra assembly polls. There appears to be a strategy to limit the time available for the Maha Vikas Aghadi to discuss and decide about government formation. If the MVA constituents fail to stake a claim, the governor will recommend the President's Rule for six months."
He claimed the BJP was taking proactive steps to keep the MVA from returning to power.
"Additionally, the ECI has scheduled the polls in such a way that it restricts the MVA's opportunity to form a government effectively," he said.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also pointed out that the counting will take place on November 23, which means the MVA partners — Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, NCP (SP) and other small parties will have only 48 hours for government formation, and this was unfair.
He alleged, "The ECI's actions are like that of a BJP spokesperson. It supports the EVM but conveniently keeps mum when we speak about the alleged tampering of these machines in the Haryana state elections. The commission has not taken any action on complaints about the misuse of money during the Lok Sabha elections."
Raut further claimed Chief Minister Eknath Shinde decided to distribute Rs 15 crore in some 200 assembly constituencies just before the state polls were announced, and it was the government's money.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
