Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has voiced strong concerns over the early trends and results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024, alleging foul play and manipulation in the electoral process.
As the counting of votes progressed on Saturday, November 23, Raut accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and industrialist Gautam Adani, of orchestrating the outcomes to favor their interests.
Speaking to the media, Raut questioned the legitimacy of the results, particularly the performance of the BJP and its allies in the state. “If you can’t even give 75 seats to Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), then these results are suspicious,” he remarked, expressing disbelief at the margin by which certain leaders, such as Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, were leading. He further emphasized that, based on his ground-level experience, it was “impossible” for Shinde to be ahead in 56 seats or for Pawar to surpass the 20-seat mark.
Raut rejected the notion that these results represented the true will of the people of Maharashtra. “I disagree to believe this is Maharashtra’s people’s verdict, I know where their heart has been,” he said, suggesting that the results were not reflective of public sentiment.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader went on to condemn the BJP’s numbers, which appeared to be far ahead of expectations, stating, “It is impossible that a party can cross 200 seats.” In a scathing critique, he asserted that the Maharashtra citizens were not dishonest, but instead, the BJP-led Mahayuti was responsible for what he described as “bought results.”
Raut went even further, accusing the Adani group of influencing the election results, saying, “This result has been bought by the Adani team.”
The allegations raised by Raut add to the growing tensions in Maharashtra’s political landscape. With the results still being counted, these statements from Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders suggest that the opposition is not ready to accept the outcome without contest.
As the political battle intensifies, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and whether these allegations will lead to further developments or protests in the coming days.