Echoing NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed that two individuals had also approached Uddhav Thackeray ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra assembly polls, offering to secure victory “through EVMs” in 60-65 challenging seats.
Raut said the same people had earlier met Thackeray during the Lok Sabha elections. However, the Sena (UBT) chief refused to engage with them, citing his faith in the electoral process and democracy. He pointed out that the Maha Vikas Aghadi went on to win 30 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
Pawar had on Saturday alleged that two people had approached him before the assembly elections, “guaranteeing” the Opposition’s win in 160 out of the 288 seats.
“Sharad Pawar said some people met him before the polls. The same set of people also met Uddhav Thackeray during the Lok Sabha elections. We told them we believe in democracy and will win the polls for sure, given the atmosphere in the country,” Raut told reporters.
He claimed the same persons returned before the assembly elections held months later.
“We told them the Opposition had achieved overwhelming success in the Lok Sabha polls and we would come to power in the Vidhan Sabha elections. They asked us to give them 60-65 difficult seats and promised victory through EVMs. Thackeray told them we do not feel the need to do it,” Raut said.
According to Raut, the visitors made it clear that, even without their help, those in power had prepared a plan involving EVMs and electoral rolls.
“(They told us that) they could foresee our potential failure and could help us. We still trusted the Election Commission and democracy. Unfortunately, those who met Uddhav and Sharad may have had an element of truth in their claim,” Raut added.
Pawar’s remarks stirred political circles. He said he had introduced the two individuals to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
“I introduced them to Rahul Gandhi. He ignored what was told to him. He was also of the view that we should not get involved in such things and instead go to the people directly,” Pawar said.
His comments came amid an ongoing political storm over Rahul Gandhi’s “vote theft” accusation against the BJP and the Election Commission.
The BJP won 132 seats in the Maharashtra assembly elections, with its allies Shiv Sena and NCP securing 57 and 41 seats respectively.
On Thursday, Gandhi alleged a “huge criminal fraud” in elections through collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission, citing an analysis of a constituency in Karnataka and calling it “a crime against the Constitution”.
The following day, he alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission had “stolen” the Lok Sabha elections from the people, claiming there was “vote theft” in at least three states.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday questioned the timing of Pawar’s allegations, dismissing them as a “Salim-Javed script”.
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