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Casting doubt on the Election Commission following the announcement of elections in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday urged the poll body to be impartial and not allow the Maharashtra elections to resemble those of Haryana.
Raising concerns, Raut suggested that everything, from EVMs to postal ballots, could be misused, placing the responsibility on the Election Commission to ensure the elections are conducted fairly. The assembly elections in Maharashtra will be held in a single phase on November 20, with votes to be counted on November 23, as announced by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday. After the announcement, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, speaking to the media, said, "We appeal to the EC not to let the Maharashtra election become like the Haryana election. Whether it's EVMs or postal ballots, everything could be misused. Money might come into play. If the Election Commission sees itself as unbiased--though we don't--they will have to address these issues... EVMs are not foolproof." Expressing confidence in the Maha Vikas Aghadi's victory in the upcoming elections, Raut said that the people of Maharashtra would vote for change. "The government in Maharashtra will definitely change. This unconstitutional government, which was formed with the backing of PM Modi, Amit Shah, and the Supreme Court, will be ousted," he stated. Raut also highlighted the importance of winning individual seats rather than focusing solely on overall numbers in the election. "This isn't a numbers game. Whoever wins their seat will keep it," he added. Earlier this month, the leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) held a meeting to discuss seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said the opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi, would announce its decisions on several seats before Dussehra. The meeting covered discussions on over 150 seats. The forthcoming Maharashtra election will see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition--comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress--and the Maha Yuti Alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). (ANI)
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