Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party is currently alleging that the recent elections were marred by vote theft. Amidst this, two major parties from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have come forward with significant claims. Sharad Pawar of NCP (Sharad Pawar) claimed that prior to the November 2024 assembly elections, two individuals approached the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), asserting their ability to secure victory for the alliance in 160 seats.
Following this, Shiv Sena (UBT) has also made similar claims. On Sunday, the Shiv Sena alleged that the same two individuals offered to ensure the party’s victory in 60-65 challenging seats through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) manipulation.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) leader Raut stated on Sunday, “I was present at the meeting where Uddhav Thackeray, believing in the democratic process, rejected their proposal.” Both NCP (Sharad Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT) are part of the MVA coalition, along with Congress and other smaller parties. This alliance had a successful run in the June 2024 Lok Sabha elections, securing 30 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. However, the party experienced a defeat in the assembly elections six months later, winning only 50 out of 288 seats.
Sharad Pawar disclosed on Saturday that prior to the assembly elections, two individuals contacted him and offered to guarantee MVA’s victory in 160 out of 288 seats via ‘EVM management.’ Sharad Pawar added, “The MVA rejected the proposal because we wanted to operate fairly.” He refrained from naming the individuals or disclosing their organizational ties. On Sunday, Raut also mentioned that Thackeray rejected the same individuals’ proposal due to his confidence in the MVA’s victory, given the prevailing political climate in the state.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP further stated, “We performed well in the Lok Sabha elections and anticipated similar outcomes in the state elections.” When Thackeray and other Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders declined the offer to win 60-65 seats through ‘EVM management,’ the two individuals informed them that the ruling Mahayuti alliance was planning to manipulate EVMs and voter lists to ensure the MVA’s defeat in the elections.
In response to Sharad Pawar’s significant claims, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra commented that these allegations appear to stem from a meeting with Rahul Gandhi.