Sanjay Raut accuses BJP of seizing control of EC

Mumbai, Jun 10 (PTI) Targeting the Election Commission after the counting of votes for Rajya Sabha election from Maharashtra was held up for almost seven hours, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday alleged that the BJP had seized control of the poll body.

“The BJP has seized control of the country's democracy, judiciary, central investigation machinery, and the Election Commission. In Maharashtra, does it take seven hours to decide on three votes? This is surprising. How long will this comedy show of democracy continue? It is Mahavikas Aghadi! Jai Maharashtra!!” Raut tweeted.

The BJP has accused three MLAs of the ruling coalition MVA in Maharashtra of "compromising and vitiating" the Rajya Sabha poll process by openly displaying ballot papers, and urged the Election Commission to cancel their votes.

The counting was to start at 5 pm. However, a BJP delegation, including Union ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Jitendra Singh and Arjun Ram Meghwal, met the EC after the polling process got over to seek a probe and cancellation of three votes.

In its memorandum to the EC, the BJP noted the commission had stated in the matter involving the election of Congress leader Ahmed Patel in Gujarat in 2017 that the very act of showing the ballot paper to anyone other than the election agent of one's party renders the vote invalid Earlier, Raut took a dig at the BJP, saying when the Enforcement Directorate failed to win the Rajya poll in the state, an unsporting game has begun after the BJP approached the Central Election Commission.

"Who halted the Rajya Sabha poll counting and why? The plot to use the ED has failed. Now an unsporting game has begun. We will surely win. Jai Maharashtra," Raut tweeted.

Prior to the polls, Raut had accused the BJP of using the Enforcement Directorate to pressurise the independent MLAs.